Auguste Herbin

Kunstmuseum, Basel
Galerie Chalette, New York
Donna Josey, Houston 
Private Collection, Florida (acquired from the above in 1994)
Acquired in 2007 by the present owner

Paris, 54e Salon des Indépendants, 1943, no. 1547
Dallas, Dallas Museum of Fine Art, Geometric Abstraction of the 1930s, 1972, no. 73 

Degand Léon, Auguste Herbin, Privatdruck des Basler Druck und Vergsanstral, Basel, 1955, illustrated p. 4
Geneviève Claisse, Herbin, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Lausanne, 1993, no. 798, illustrated p. 420

This work is in overall fairly good condition. The canvas is lined. Some small flecks of paint loss in places. Scattered fine lines of craquelure. A faint horizontal stretcher bar mark. Under UV light: some scattered prior restorations were broadly applied and a few are now discolored and visible to the naked eye, notably in the black pigment at center left. The painting could perhaps benefit from a new lining.
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.

Composition sur les noms communs: Ange, lion, fauvette, painted in 1942, is an exceptional example of Herbin's mature, Cubist-inspired imagery, illustrating a series of geometric shapes whilst evoking a distinct sense of energy and velocity. The present composition conveys the artist’s mastery in the assembly of form and color with the use of varying hues of red, pink, yellow, blue and green, all beautifully juxtaposed to create a spectrum of harmonious colors. Herbin's works from this period are further marked by the appearance of black contours swaying around the geometrical forms, guiding the viewer's eye through a more complex composition. So it happens that although Herbin began his career as an Impressionist painter, his abstract works are some of the most celebrated of his entire career, and Composition sur les noms communs: Ange, lion, fauvette soars high as a brilliantly conceived composition, a sophisticated example of the artist’s embrace of pure geometric abstraction.