HENRI LEBASQUE | Saint-Tropez, fillettes à la fontaine

Private Collection, Germany
Sale: Kohn, Divonne-les-Bains, August 1991, lot 149
Private Collection, Switzerland (sale: Sotheby's, London, 4th February 2010, lot 217)
Galerie Fleury, Paris (purchased at the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in June 2010

Michel Ipas, Les Peintres de Saint-Tropez, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, 1999, illustrated in colour p. 147
Denise Bazetoux, Henri Lebasque, Catalogue raisonné, Neuilly-sur-Marne, 2008, vol. I, no. 1167, illustrated p. 288

The canvas is not lined. The pigments are bright and fresh. Inspection under UV light reveals no signs of retouching. There is some old frame abrasion with tiny specks of associated loss to all four edges, not visible when framed, and a network of stable very fine craquelure to the background which is not visually disturbing. There is a small puncture and faint surface scratch (approx. 1.5cm) visible towards the upper right corner. 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."

Painted in 1906, just before Lebasque's first one-man exhibition at the renowned Galeries Georges Petit in Paris the following year, the present work depicts two young girls enjoying a summer day in St. Tropez. The sitters are very probably Lebasque's two daughters, Marthe and Nono, whom he took great pleasure in painting whilst on holiday or at the beach. Probably painted en plein air, this work is a delightful souvenir of a pleasant outing, capturing the spontaneity of a sun-filled moment through striking vivid colours. Lebasque's work at this time was strongly influenced by his acquaintance with Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, which resulted in his use of divisionist brushwork and colour theory. The swiftly applied brushstrokes and harmonious palette of the present work exemplifies Lebasque's mastery of these new techniques, which he uses to create a scene of atmospheric tranquillity.

According to Lisa Banner: ‘[Lebasque] was hailed as the painter of "Joy and Light" by art critics and curators of the Louvre in his later life. But Lebasque's primary concerns were with simple expression of sensuous surface [...] He achieved an intimate manner of painting those scenes and people most dear to him, which was replete with his personal delight in form and colour, heightened by his contact with fellow painters Matisse and Bonnard, but characteristically his own’ (Lisa Banner, Lebasque, 1865-1937 (exhibition catalogue), Montgomery Gallery, San Francisco, 1985, p. 20).