ROGER DE LA FRESNAYE | Le marché en Bretagne

Paul Petit, Paris
Marcel Kapferer, Paris
E.J. van Wisselingh, Amsterdam 
Private Collection, Netherlands (acquired from the above circa 1957)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Paris, Galerie Barbazanges, Exposition rétrospective des œuvres de Roger de la Fresnaye, 1926, no. 6
Paris, Galerie Druet, Roger de la Fresnaye, 1938, no. 22
Paris, Maison de la Pensée Française, Roger de la Fresnaye, 1949, no. 9
Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Roger de la Fresnaye, 1950, no. 7
Le Mans, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Roger de la Fresnaye, 1950-51, no. 4
Lyons, Musée de Lyon, Roger de la Fresnaye, 1951, no. 5

Eberhard Nebelthau, Roger de la Fresnaye, Paris, 1935, no. 3, n.p.
Raymond Cogniat & Waldemar Georges, Œuvre complète de Roger de la Fresnaye, Paris, 1950, no. 3, illustrated, n.p. (with incorrect medium)
Germain Seligman, Roger de La Fresnaye, London, 1969, no. 28, illustrated p. 121

Executed on paper laid down on canvas. There are three vertical fold lines running down the sheet, which were very likely inherent to the sheet at the time of execution. There is a thick layer of varnish which prevents the UV light from fully penetrating, but UV light does reveal scattered spots and lines of retouching throughout the composition. There are some further retouchings (to the pig's head, for example) which are not visible under UV light. There are some scattered crease lines throughout and small repaired tears in places, some of which have associated small historic losses. This work is in overall fairly 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."

Born to an aristocratic family in Normandy, Roger de la Fresnaye moved to Paris at the turn of the century to pursue a career in painting. He began a traditional education at the École-des-Beaux-Arts but quickly became caught up in the waves of modern artistic and intellectual movements sweeping across the French capital. By 1908, De la Fresnaye was studying at the newly opened Académie Ranson, led by the preeminent Nabis painter Paul Elie Ranson. Other Nabis artists such as Paul Sérusier and Maurice Denis also taught at the school.

During the summer of 1909, De la Fresnaye made a pilgrimage to Brittany, a region whose conservative and deeply religious culture fascinated artists seeking a reprieve from the exhausting cosmopolitanism of Paris. The present work, one of the most important from De la Fresnaye's time in Brittany, depicts a bustling market the artist visited in the region. The traditional costumes donned by the figures in the composition were iconic symbols of Breton culture. In his radical cropping of the composition, flattening of perspective, and utilization of planes of colour, De la Fresnaye demonstrates his mastery of Nabis techniques and betrays the deep influence of their forerunner, Paul Gauguin.