Georges Valmier

Galerie l'Effort Moderne (Léonce Rosenberg), Paris
Galerie Paul Rosenberg, New York
Paul Rosenberg, New York
Acquired from the estate of the above in 1983 

"1925, Paris" in Bulletin de l'Effort Moderne, no. 15, May 1925, illustrated n.p. (titled Les Pommes)
Denise Bazetoux, George Valmier, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1993, no. 489, illustrated in color on the cover & p. 145

This work is in very good condition. The canvas has a thin glue lining. The surface is clean, richly painted and well-preserved. There are a few small stable hairline craquelure visible in the cream pigment of the carafe and in the pink pigment towards center left. Under UV light: two tiny pindots of retouching at upper right and lower left and a 2 inch horizontal stroke of in-painting in the center of the background. A few other very small strokes along the extreme edges to address old frame abrasion, otherwise fine.
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.

Valmier wrote often and eloquently about his views on painting, offering a particularly insightful reflection on Cubism in 1925, the year the present work was painted: "It is not a question of making simply what one sees, but of feeling, of completely understanding what is, and this in order to make something utterly different from that which already exists and of which our eyes can only perceive a limited proportion" (quoted from Bulletin de l'Effort Moderne in Denise Bazetoux, op.cit., p. 25). 

The abstracted forms of a set table within the modulated, planar composition seem to exemplify Valmier's view of Cubism as a means of understanding our physical surroundings while showcasing his mastery of the decorative through the work's vivid, engaging palette and elegant compositional dialogue of hard edges and curvilinear shapes.