PAUL SÉRUSIER | Paysage d'automne aux peupliers et pommiers

Galerie Druet, Paris
Sale: Guichard, St. Brieuc, 14th November 1976, lot 142
Sale: Thierry-Lannon, Brest, 7th May 2016, lot 261
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Marcel Guicheteau, Paul Sérusier, Pontoise, 1989, vol. II, no. 169, illustrated p. 119 (titled Paysage)

The canvas is not lined. Examination under UV reveals no signs of retouching. The varnish is discoloured in places and fluoresces lightly. The canvas is slightly undulating. There is some craquelure and pigment loss to the very edges of the canvas, most prominently on the upper and lower right edges. This work is in overall 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. 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."

Paysage d'automne aux peupliers et pommiers is a composition Paul Sérusier completed in Brittany, where he worked closely with Paul Gauguin and Émile Bernard, as well as other artists known collectively as the Pont Aven School. The Breton towns of Pont Aven and nearby Le Pouldu were unique for the distinctive culture of the local people and their timeless way of life, and offered a dramatic contrast to the modernity of Paris at the turn of the century. Sérusier and his colleagues were fascinated with the simplicity and rustic beauty of this region and depicted the daily activities of the local peasants in many of their compositions. Maurice Denis noted how Gauguin initially explained to Sérusier his ideas about painting: ‘What colour do you see that tree? Is it green? Then use green, the finest green in your palette. And that shadow? It’s blue, if anything? Don’t be afraid to paint it as blue as you possibly can’ (Maurice Denis, ‘L’Influence de Paul Gauguin’, in L’Occidente, October 1903).

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the Comité Paul Sérusier.