Albert Marquet

Mme. Albert Marquet
Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., Norfolk, Virginia (acquired from the above in 1954)
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York (acquired on April 12, 1972)
Acquavella Galleries, New York
Galerie de l'Elysée (Alex Maguy), Paris (acquired in 1975)
Acquired from the above

Zurich, Kunsthaus & Paris, Musée national d'art moderne, Albert Marquet 1875-1947, 1948, nos. 172 & 90
Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst & Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Albert Marquet, 1950, nos. 50 & 49
Tel Aviv, Musée de Bezalel, Albert Marquet, 1951, no. 46
London, Wildenstein, Paintings by Albert Marquet, 1952, no. 37
New York, Wildenstein, Albert Marquet, 1953, no. 62
Vevey, Musée Jenisch, Albert Marquet, 1953, no. 65
Provincetown, The Chrysler Art Museum & Ottawa, The National Gallery of Canada, The Controversial Century, 1850-1950: Paintings from the Collection of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., 1962, illustrated in the catalogue
Bordeaux, Galerie des Beaux-Arts & Paris, Orangerie des Tuileries, Albert Marquet, 1975-76, no. 86, illustrated in the catalogue

R. Couvreu, "A Vevey, l'exposition Marquet," in Liberté, July 1953
Jean-Claude Martinet & Guy Wildenstein, Marquet, L'Afrique du nord, Catalogue de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 2001, no. I-366, illustrated p. 288

The canvas is lined. UV examination reveals areas of retouching in places, to all four edges, and in places along the sky and along the lower edge. There is an approx. 10cm vertical repaired tear with associated retouching to the centre of the right edge. There are some fine lines of stable craquelure predominantly to the upper right quadrant of the composition, some further paint shrinkage mainly to the green pigment in the lower part of the composition. This work is in generally 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.
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In 1941 Marcelle and Albert Marquet moved to Djenan Sidi Säid, located in Algeria in the region of Montplaisant and on the outskirts of Beau-Fraisier. They purchased a villa which they called Le jardin du Seigneur heureux as it had a lush and expansive garden and was well situated on a mountain with a vast aerial perspective. Marquet spent much of his time on the outskirts of Bab-el-Oued near the ocean which resulted in a creative outburst of paintings, all of which focused on how sunlight and color affect one's perception in a given moment in time.

Marcelle wrote to George and Adèle Besson describing the villa and garden surrounded by acanthus with large leaves which covered the path leading to the terrace. Upon climbing the stairs to the terrace one saw the last district of Djenan Sidi Säid and the ocean, all surrounded by rose trees, cypresses and lush exotic flowers. Their house was well placed and isolated which allowed Marquet to produce a multitude of paintings with varying vantage points of Montplaisant. Each painting focused on varying aerial perspectives in the different seasons at different times of day.

It is clear that all of the paintings Marquet produced in Algeria were between the years 1941 and 1946, as Marcelle Marquet kept a journal while they lived in Algeria recording their entire stay. The villa was eventually donated to the Algerian government in hopes to foster artistic creativity for young artists; it was however later destroyed.