JEAN-BAPTISTE-CAMILLE COROT | Le Christ au Jardin des Oliviers

Alfred Robaut, France (until 1889)
Arnold & Tripp, Paris, no. 5414 (by 1905)
Sale: Sotheby’s, London, March 21-22, 1984, lot 64, illustrated
Private Collection, Japan
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Ethel Birnstingl and Alice Pollard, Corot, London, 1904, p. 148
Alfred Robaut, L'oeuvre de Corot, catalogue raisonné et illustré, Paris, 1965, vol. III, p. 358, no. 2313, illustrated p. 359

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work is in lovely condition. The canvas has an old lining. The paint layer is clean and varnished. There is no abrasion to the paint layer. All of the glazes and delicate touches are in original condition. Under ultraviolet light, one can see retouching in the lower right corner that does not interfere with the signature, and a few other isolated spots around the edges, particularly in the upper center. There are two or three restorations in the sky to the left of the angel's wing, one addressing a small paint loss and possible break in the canvas. There is also a spot or two of retouching above the angel's head. There are no retouches in either figure. In the landscape, there is only retouching in the tree in the center of the right edge. The work should be hung as is.
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.

Le Christ au Jardin des Oliviers is one of a set of four biblical scenes commissioned for the transept of the Église Saint-Nicolas-Saint-Marc in Ville d’Avray, which remain in situ today (the others being Adam et Ève chassés du paradis terrestre [fig. 1], Le baptême du Christ [fig. 2], and Madeleine au desert [fig. 3]). Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot executed the murals in 1855, painting them directly on the wall without primer or coating, aided by help of a colleague, Jules Richomme (Gary Tinterow, Michael Pantazzi and Vincent Pomarède, Corot, exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1996, p. 386). In a letter to his brother dated August 13, 1875, Vincent Van Gogh writes "at Ville-d’Avray that day ... I was surprised to find three paintings by Corot in the church there." He may have mentioned only three because The Baptism of Christ is unsigned, or because it was partially hidden from view. This placement is what prompted Corot’s friend and biographer, Alfred Robaut, to implore the artist to create reductions of these works, claiming that the originals in the church were difficult for the general public to see, while likely predicting their eventual deterioration (Birnstingl and Pollard, p. 148). An accomplished draftsman and engraver, Robaut was so determined to preserve the compositions that he sketched out the drawings with the help of his friend M.L. Desmarest, to be completed in paint by Corot himself (Robaut, p. 358). Robaut kept these works in his collection until 1889, and the group has since been broken up and dispersed. The subject of the present work is taken from the New Testament. According to all four Gospels, in moments of quiet and seclusion between the Last Supper and betrayal by his disciple Judas, Jesus took a walk to pray. Overwhelmed by sadness, he says "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it." The Gospel of Luke mentions the visitation of the angel who comforts Jesus as he accepts the will of God, illustrated in the present work, where Christ is offered a chalice by the angel against a dramatic night sky. The composition is spare, with planes of color serving as a near abstract backdrop upon which the scene unfolds. Critics in 1904 describe how the “night effect, strongly accentuated, brings into relief the halo around the head of Christ… The attitude, as well as the coloring, of the angel, who is presenting a chalice, conveys an infinite tenderness in an atmosphere enveloped in mystery” (Birnstingl and Pollard, p. 149). The chalice might refer to a passage in the Gospel of Matthew (26:42), which also describes this particular moment: "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." This passage was depicted throughout western art history, and this scene has also been known as Agony in the Garden, Christ’s Agony at Gethsemane, and Christ on the Mount of Olives. Corot himself had already had great success with another painting of the same title as the present work that was exhibited in the Salon in 1849.



We would like to thank Martin Dieterle and Claire Lebeau for kindly confirming the authenticity of this lot.