Gustave Caillebotte

Galerie Barbizon, Paris

Arthur Tooth & Sons, London

B. E. Besinger, Chicago (acquired circa 1969)

Sale: Christie's, London, 15th April 1975, lot 22

Sale: Christie's, London, 25th June 1990, lot 20

Acquired by the present owner in 1993

Marie Berhaut, Caillebotte, sa vie et son œuvre, Paris, 1978, no. 374, illustrated p. 207 (as dating from 1889-90)

Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1994, no. 355, illustrated p. 205

The canvas is unlined and there is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. This work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly more vibrant in the original.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This lush landscape depicts a view of the river Seine at Argenteuil, only a short walk from Caillebotte’s residence in Petit Grennevilliers. A beautiful rural region unspoilt by modern development had a pastoral charm that provided Caillebotte, as well as Monet and Renoir before him, with a constant source of inspiration for his painting. Caillebotte had established himself as a member of the original Impressionist group in 1876, when he was asked to participate in the second Impressionist exhibition in Paris. When he painted Le petit bras de la Seine, Argenteuil around 1886-87, he was living with his brother Martial in Petit Grennevilliers, a tranquil town on the left bank of the Seine, directly across the river from the more lively Argenteuil. The brothers had bought their house in 1881, and over the next decade scenes of Argenteuil would become the artist’s primary subject.

 

Paul Hayes Tucker wrote about the quieter Petit Bras, and his description explains the attraction of this tranquil region to so many landscape painters: ‘Removed from the activity of the main body of the Seine and thus from the evidence of commerce and leisure that the river attracted, the Petit Bras was a picturesque retreat that evoked a sense of bygone days. Although its mouth was used as a docking area for pleasure craft, its shores were refreshingly free of development, and the trees and bushes along its banks could mask whatever encroachments might lurk offstage. It was, in short, somewhere one could be in communion with nature’ (P. Hayes Tucker in The Impressionists at Argenteuil (exhibition catalogue), National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. & Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, 2000, p. 168).