Henri le Sidaner

Galeries Georges Petit, Paris
M. Knoedler & Co., New York
Continental Galleries of Fine Art, Montreal
Gerald Robinson, Montreal
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 14, 1990, lot 412)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale and sold: Christie's, London, February 5, 2002, lot 137)
Private Collection, Europe (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired in 2004

Paris, Galeries Georges Petit, Henri Le Sidaner, 1925, no. 41

Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, L'Oeuvre peint et gravé, Paris, 1989, no. 565, illustrated p. 214

Very good condition. Canvas is not lined though the edges have been reinforced with tape. Surface is clean. Light layer of varnish. Small surface scuff in sky near right edge. Under UV light, there are pin dot retouches along left edge near upper left corner and one tiny line of inpainting to the right of house. Otherwise fine.
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.

Adjoining the city of Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer is located in the Côte d'Azur between Monaco and Cannes. Its bay is one of the deepest natural harbors in the Mediterrenean, making it both an important port and a popular seaside resort for tourism. Between 1924 and 1928, Henri Le Sidaner lived periodically at the Hôtel Welcome, situated in the center of town overlooking the harbor. It was during the 1920s that Le Sidaner began to include a brighter and more intense range of colors in his palette, shifting away from the muted, hazy light of his early career. The present work captures the differences in temperature of the fading light on the seaside dock, as Ingrid Mössinger and Karin Sagner observe in their discussion of Le Sidaner's paintings of the period: “Indeed an enigmatic magic does seem to emanate from these paintings, which encompass highly diverse light effects” (Ingrid Mössinger & Karin Sagner, Henri Le Sidaner: A Magical Impressionist, Chemnitz, 2009, p. 34).