Roger de La Fresnaye

John Quinn, New York (acquired by 1926)
Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above in 1952

John Quinn, Forbes Watson & Bruce Rogers, The John Quinn (1870-1925) Collection of Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings & Sculpture, Huntington, 1926, illustrated p. 55 (with incorrect dimensions)
Germain Seligman, Roger de la Fresnaye, Neuchâtel, 1969, p. 130

Board is sound. Surface retains a lovely texture. One surface abrasion extending horizontally from right edge, near lower center of that edge, in towards the bottom of the pitcher. One possible dot of paint loss in the larger fruit. Under UV light some fine hairlines of retouch in the above mentioned surface abrasion, In addition some original pigments fluoresce but no other retouching is apparent. 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.

There is a larger, unsigned but almost identical version of the present work in the collection of the Musée national d'art moderne in Paris. In his discussion of the important similarities between the two, Germain Seligman notes that these compositions are remarkable for the dramatic incline of the table which permits the artist to clearly delineate the position of the objects on the surface and to emphasize their silhouettes. He adds that the angle formed by the corner of the table and the knife simultaneously recalls a more traditional vision of the subject while heralding the more angular compositions of 1913-14 (cf. Germain Seligman, op. cit., p. 130).

Roger de la Fresnaye was profoundly influenced by the work of Paul Cézanne, and in particular Cézanne's belief that the artist should "treat nature by means of the cylander, the sphere, the cone, everything brought into proper perspective so that each side of an object or a plane is directed towards a central point. Lines parallel to the horizon give breadth...lines perpendicular to this horizon give depth. But nature for us men is more depth than surface, whence the need to introduce into our light vibrations, represented by the reds and yellows, a sufficient amount of blueness to give the feel of air" (quoted in ibid., pp. 276-77).