ÉDOUARD VUILLARD | Nature morte avec Leda

Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the artist in October 1903)
Albert Bernier, Paris (acquired from the above in October 1904. Sold: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 23rd November 1910, lot 57)
Galerie E. Druet, Paris
Baron Napoléon Gourgaud, Paris (acquired circa 1938)
Jacques Dubourg, Paris
Jacques Lindon, Paris
David Findlay Galleries, New York (acquired circa 1957)
Private Collection, Texas (acquired in 1965)
Private Collection, Texas (by descent from the above. Sold: Sotheby's, New York, 3rd May 2006, lot 1)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, E. Vuillard, 1938, no. 67
New York, David Findlay Galleries, XIXth and XXth Century French Masters, 1957, no. 36

Jean Messelet, 'L'Exposition Vuillard au musée des arts décoratifs,' in Bulletin des Musées de France 10, issue no. 4, Paris, May 1938, illustrated p. 67
Claude Roger-Marx, Vuillard et son temps, Paris, 1946, mentioned p. 78  
Claude Roger-Marx, 'Edouard Vuillard 1867-1940,' in Gazette des Beaux-Arts 29, Paris, no. 952, June 1946, illustrated p. 366  
Claude Roger-Marx, Vuillard, Paris, 1948, illustrated pl. 34  
Emilie Daniel, Vuillard, l'espace de l'intimité, Paris, 1984, no. 98, illustrated p. 261
Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, The Inexhaustible Glance, Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, Paris, 2003, vol. II, no. VII-269, illustrated p. 673

Please contact the Impressionist and Modern Art Department (Phoebe.Liu@sothebys.com) for the condition report for this lot.
"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.
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A founding member of the Nabis movement in the late 1880s, Édouard Vuillard celebrated pattern and ornament in art and was ambitious in incorporating decorative motifs into his canvases. As an artist he was particularly adept at capturing the tender essence of floral compositions, distilling the detail within the branches and buds and focusing on their colour and form instead.

In his paintings, Vuillard also frequently depicted Leda, a small plaster figurine which was gifted to him by the sculptor Aristide Maillol. Sometimes this sculpture would appear in the background of depictions of the artist's apartment on the rue Truffaut, usually set on the mantle over the fireplace. In this still life from circa 1902, Vuillard has elevated the importance of the sculpture, placing it at the centre of the composition, alongside a vase of flowers.
Musing on the elegant composition Antoine Salomon and Guy Covegal note: 'Maillol's Leda, a white figurine shading into ochre, stands on the table of woven Spanish grass. Next to it is a bouquet of mauve, pink and white sweet peas and mauve asters flecked with yellow in a brown stoneware jug. The delicately shaded greys in the background are offset by the black metal hooks fixing an antique bas-relief to the wall above the table' (Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, op. cit., p. 673).