Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Estate of the artist
Percy Turner, London
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the above on February 16, 1928)
Henri Canonne, Paris (acquired from the above on May 22, 1928)
Elie Faure, Paris (acquired from the above in 1936)
Private Collection, Europe (acquired from the above circa 1940-49)
Stern Pissarro Gallery, London 
Acquired from the above

Albert André, Auguste Renoir, Paris, 1919, illustrated pl. 28
Bernheim-Jeune, ed., L'Atelier de Renoir, vol. I, Paris, 1931, no. 356, illustrated pl. 113
Guy-Patrice & Michel Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. IV, Paris, 2014, no. 2899, illustrated p. 133

The canvas has been relined. There is some paint thinning to the perimeter of the composition and some light surface dirt. When examined under UV, there is some evidence of retouching along the lower edge and some cosmetic retouching to a line in the sky in the upper right quadrant. No further evidence of repainting. The painting 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.
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A charming example of Renoir’s mature landscapes, Paysage du Midi ou Esquisse de paysage reveals the artist’s fascination with the fleeting effects of nature, which he sought to capture through painting en plein-air. Within the present work, verdant foliage moves gently in the breeze against the background of a warm blue sky, whilst the entire scene appears to be suffused with sunlight. Anthea Callen has noted the importance of the esquisse as a vehicle for the artist’s primary creative ideas: “[The] esquisse…embodied the artist’s first inspired idea or design for the final painting… Spontaneity and originality were the prime qualities sought” (Anthea Callen, Techniques of the Impressionists, London, 1982, p. 187).

Paysage du Midi ou Esquisse de paysage bears distinguished provenance, having passed through the celebrated collections of Henri Canonne (1867-1961) and then Elie Faure (1873-1937). Canonne was the inventor of the Valda tablet, a form of lozenge which is still in production today. The Valda tablet proved so successful that Canonne was able to build up an impressive collection of Impressionist artworks, reputedly owning forty works by Monet and ten Renoirs at one stage. The present work was then purchased by Faure, an important French critic and art historian who wrote biographies of Cézanne, Soutine and Derain among other significant publications.

Renoir adored the South of France and spent an increasing amount of time there before moving permanently to the area in 1897. Having suffered from the effects of rheumatoid arthritis prior to his move to the south, Renoir found the warmth and sunlight of this more benign climate beneficial to his health, and produced some of the most charming and attractive landscapes of his entire career from the mid-1890s onwards which depict the southern Midi region. Renoir further cemented his close connection to the South of France with the purchase of a countryside property near Cagnes in 1907, Les Colettes, where the artist and his family enjoyed a relaxed and happy existence.