Pierre Bonnard

Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris
Gustav Keller-Bühler & Marthe Gresky-Keller, Winterthur (acquired by 1949)
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, London, June 19, 2007, lot 429)
Acquired at the above sale

Winterthur, Kunstmuseum, Winterhur Privatbesitz II, 1949, no. 58
Winterthur, Kunstmuseum, Pierre Bonnard, 2004, no. 45

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre peint, 1906-1919, vol. II, Paris, 1973, no. 782, illustrated p. 323

This work is in very good condition. The board is sound. It is slightly bowing towards the center. There is some minor frame abrasion around the extreme edges and tape reside around the edges on the reverse. Under UV light: no in-painting apparent.
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.

Painted in 1914, Le Compotier is a vibrant still life Bonnard created two years after he purchased a modest villa in Vernonnet, a scenic village in the Seine valley not far from Giverny. The years following his time in Vernonnet proved to be a particularly transformative period of creativity for Bonnard. He began to focus his attention indoors, seeking inspiration in the rooms in which he lived, evoking the rhythms of domestic intimacy through paintings of the interior and still lives. Subsequently the works from this period serve as explorative studies showcasing Bonnard’s intrigue with color and creating a balance between the background and foreground planes. The present work is a captivating example from this period; its vibrant palette and composition revive the common still-life motif with an air of innovative enchantment. As Nicholas Watkins observes of Bonnard's work from this period: "Paintings begun in the memory of a visual experience were transformed through color into a rich, immensely varied surface made up of a tapestry of brushstrokes, glazes, scumbles, impasto, highlights and pentimenti. Objects were not so much painted as felt into shape within the surface over a long period. 'The principal subject is the surface, which has its color, its laws over and above those of objects. It's not a matter of painting life, it's a matter of giving life to painting'" (Nicholas Watkins, Bonnard, London, 1994, p. 171).

The central feature of this composition—the radiant earthenware bowl—stands in contrast to the brightly patterned tablecloth, as well as with the monochromatic background. Bonnard used vibrant pigments to infuse a touch of modernity into a classically intimiste scene, strongly reminiscent of his contemporary, Henri Matisse. The two often corresponded and  in one of Bonnard’s letters to Matisse he wrote, "I agree with you that the painter's only ground is the palette and colors, but as soon as the colors achieve an illusion, they are no longer judged" (quoted in Pierre Bonnard: Early and Later (exhibition catalogue), Washington, D.C. & London, 2002, p. 44). This abandonment of the traditional approach to depth and perspective, coupled with the vibrant color palette, as well as with a lively pattern set against a flat background, makes this a truly modern composition.