HENRI LE SIDANER | Canal avec maison blanche, Harfleur

Sale: Hôtel des Ventes, Versailles, lot 45
Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal
Acquired from the above by the present owner in the 1970s

Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, l'œuvre peint et gravé, Paris, 1989, no. 341, illustrated p. 142

The canvas is not lined. Inspection under UV light reveals a milky varnish that is difficult to read through, however, there are a few minor spots of retouching visible along the left and upper edge. There is some minor frame abrasion along the edges with associated minor spots of paint loss which are not visible when framed. There are slight undulations to the canvas in the upper and lower left corners. 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."

Glowing with a luminous crepuscular light, Canal avec maison blanche, Harfleur is a superb example of Henri le Sidaner’s ability to distil the effects of light and atmosphere on canvas. Depicting the centre of Harfleur - a town in Normandy - at twilight, the present work was painted in 1915, when Le Sidaner was at the peak of his creative powers.  A symphony of quiet colours and gentle tonalities, the eye is inexorably drawn towards the glowing lights above the bridge, which imbues the scene with a sense of welcoming warmth whilst serving as a masterful focal point for the composition.

The depiction of northern European cities at twilight was a significant subject within the work of early twentieth century artists who were closely connected to the Symbolist movement, such as Fernand Khnopff and Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer as well as Le Sidaner. Their interest in the theme was encouraged by the publication of Georges Rodenbach’s celebrated novel Bruges-la-Morte in 1892: considered the ultimate Symbolist novel, the book focusses on the concept of the city as a relic of the past, illustrated through a nostalgic and somewhat melancholy language. However Le Sidaner’s iteration of the idea within the present work is gentler and far more benign, suggesting an atmosphere of meditative and tranquil calm.

The lack of figures is a continual theme in the work of Le Sidaner, who preferred to suggest presence through absence. There is a timeless, almost other-worldly, quality to the artist’s quiet cityscapes, a quality that the critic Camille Mauclair noted: ‘It is l’heure de Le Sidaner, the time when he is most profoundly himself [...] The colours become spiritual as they resist the falling darkness to which they will ultimately succumb.  The ordinary is transformed into magic by the miracle of the moment and of the silence.  Le Sidaner is able to depict the sweetness of life transfigured by love and made visible through physical objects’ (Camille Mauclair, Henri Le Sidaner, Paris, 1928, p. 252).