GEORGES ROUAULT | Paysage biblique

Private Collection, Japan (acquired in 1998; sale: Sotheby's, London, 23rd June 2011, lot 186)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, Rouault, L'Œuvre peint, Monte Carlo, 1988, vol. II, no. 2355, illustrated p. 234

Oil on paper laid down on panel; the panel is cradled. There is a layer of varnish which prevents the UV light from fully penetrating, however examination under UV light reveals some spots of retouching to the upper part of the left edge and the upper left corner, two small spots of retouching beneath the sun at the centre of the composition, and some additional tiny flecks of retouching towards the centre of the lower edge.There is a crease to the paper surface within the sky to the upper left quadrant and another vertical crease to the sky in the upper right quadrant. There is a lovely thick impasto and this work is in overall 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."

'Rouault’s world is a profoundly Biblical one in which outward appearances invert unseen reality'
(Stephen Schloesser (ed.) Mystique Masque, Semblance and Reality in Georges Rouault, Massachusetts, 2008, p.12)