CAMILLE PISSARRO | Portrait de Félicie Vellay Estruc

Félicie Estruc, Paris (the sitter, acquired directly from the artist)
Emile Lebœuf, Paris
Hector Brame, Paris
Private Collection, Connecticut (until 1992)
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 21st June 2005, lot 117
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Jerusalem, The Israel Museum, Camille Pissarro: Impressionist Innovator & New York, The Jewish Museum, Retrospective of Camille Pissarro, 1994-95, no. 125, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Ferrara, Ferrara Arte-Palazzo dei Diamanti, Camille Pissarro, 1998, no. 22, illustrated in the catalogue
Vienna, Albertina, Impressionism. Pastels Watercolors Drawings, 2012, no. 105, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Ludovico Rodo Pissarro & Lionello Venturi, Camille Pissarro, son art - son œuvre, Paris, 1939, vol. I, no. 1521 & vol. II, no. 1521, illustrated pl. 293
Joachim Pissarro, Camille Pissarro, London, 1993, no. 337, illustrated in colour p. 281

Executed on cream wove paper which is laid down on restorer's paper; the restorer's paper is attached to the backing board with tape in two places along the upper edge. The edges are slightly unevenly cut and the sheet is gently undulating. There is a pin hole to the upper right corner. There are some minor paper losses in places to the edges, predominantly to the left edge. The colours are bright and fresh and 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."

Depicting Camille Pissarro's sister-in-law, Félicie Vellay Estruc, the present work belongs to a small series of pastel drawings executed circa 1874 during the artist's stay at Ludovic Piette's home in Montfoucault, a rural village between Normandy and Brittany. Pissarro had met Piette at the Académie Suisse and the two became life-long friends. The secluded location in Montfoucault provided calm and serenity and in August of 1871 Piette wrote to Pissarro urging him to visit. Pissarro's stay in the village with his family provided him with the opportunity to tackle different subject matter and venture into new artistic practices; the artist summarises: 'I've done quite a lot of work here, I've been tackling figures and animals. I have several projects for genre paintings...' (the artist quoted in Ludovic Rodo Pissarro & Lionello Venturi, Camille Pissarro, son art - son œuvre, Paris, 1939, vol. I, p. 147). The luscious and vibrant blue of the present work and the enchanting texture of the pastel is testament to Pissarro's mastery of the medium in this delightful portrait.

This work will be included in the forthcoming Pissarro Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc.