Henri le Sidaner

Alphonse Lotz, Nantes (acquired in the 1930s)
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, Paris, December 3, 2008, lot 6)
Acquired at the above sale

Strasbourg, Galerie Akturyus, Henri Martin - Henri Le Sidaner, 1931, no. 16

Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Henri Le Sidaner. Paysages intimes, Saint-Rémy-en-l'Eau, 2013, illustrated p. 156

Canvas is unlined.Impasto is well preserved. Under UV light some strokes of inpainting are visible in places around the extreme perimeter of the work to address prior frame abrasion. One spot of inpainting is visible in the wall at lower left quadrant, otherwise fine. This work is in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Le Sidaner developed his distinctive idiom during the 1890s, under the influence of not only Impressionism but also Symbolism. The poignant fin-de-siècle mood of Maeterlinck and Verhaeren, of Lévy-Dhumer and Knopff set the tone of his oeuvre. On a formal level he found a suitably harmonious, all-over treatment of his composition in Neo-Impressionism.

Critics have frequently described Le Sidaner’s works in terms of musicality and silence. Always in a "minor key," the subtle harmonies of his palette are seen to evoke a wistful mood that is exacerbated, as Paul Signac notes, by the absence of figures: "His oeuvre displays a taste for tender, soft and silent atmosphere. Gradually, he even went so far as to eliminate all human presence from his pictures, as if he feared that the slightest human form might disturb their muffled silence" (quoted in Yann Farinaux-Le-Sidaner, op. cit., p. 31). Instead, the artist focused on the architectural and domestic environments as well as their accoutrements, the elements man creates for himself. "He considered that the silent harmony of things is enough to evoke the presence of those who live among them. Indeed, such presences are felt throughout his works. Deserted they may be, but never empty" (Camille Mauclair, Henri Le Sidaner, Paris, 1928, p. 12).