Henri le Sidaner

Galerie Georges Petit, Paris (no. 11126)
Mrs. Stuart Merrill, Versailles (acquired circa 1925)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Brussels, Galeries du Studio, Exposition H. Martin - H. Le Sidaner, 1924, no. 29
Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, Le Sidaner, 1925, no. 18
Brussels, Palais de Beaux-Arts, Le Mouvement Symboliste, 1957, no. 826

Remy Le Sidaner, 'Gerberoy, Boulevard du Beauvaisis' in Le Figaro Artistique, 19th February 1925
Camille Mauclair, Le Sidaner, Paris, 1928, no. 231
Yann Le Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, l'œuvre peint et gravé, Milan, 1989, no. 542, illustrated p. 207

The canvas is not lined. There is a thin layer of varnish preventing UV light from fully penetrating, however UV examination reveals some minor retouching along the extreme upper edge, the lower part of the right edge and and to the lower right corner, all relating to previous frame rubbing. There are a few tiny fly spots towards the centre of the upper edge. Otherwise this work is in very good overall 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. 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."

After many years of searching, Le Sidaner's strong desire to find a place in the countryside away from Paris, where he could plan and design his own garden, was finally fulfilled in 1904. Rémy Le Sidaner notes that ‘towards the turn of the century, Henri Le Sidaner was seized with a burning ambition. He longed to plan a garden of his own, in which the landscape would be designed by him personally and in which he could achieve his favourite light effects. He mentioned this project to Auguste Rodin, who advised him the Beauvais area. A potter living in Beauvais, answering to the name of Delaherche, recommended the village of Gerberoy’ (R. Le Sidaner, quoted in Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., Milan 1989, p. 14). By 1904, Le Sidaner bought a lovely cottage in Gerberoy, which he first visited in 1901, and he immediately set out to enlarge both the cottage and the grounds, and designed all aspects of the enlargement himself with great care.

Gerberoy, as charmingly depicted in the present work, provided endless inspiration for the artist throughout the rest of his artistic career. This much loved subject matter enabled the artist to showcase his masterful handling of his lush surroundings and the varied greenery they provided, alongside an ever-present and wonderfully enchanting play of light. Critics have often described Le Sidaner's work in terms of musicality and silence. Always in a 'minor key', the subtle harmonies found within his work are seen to evoke a wistful mood that is exacerbated, as Paul Signac notes, by the absence of figures: 'His œuvre displays a taste for tender, soft and silent atmospheres. Gradually he even went so far as to eliminate all human presence from his pictures, as if he feared that the slightest human form might disturb their muffled silence' (P. Signac, quoted in Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., Milan 1989, p. 31).