Details

Provenance

Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired from the artist's family) O'Hana Gallery, London Acquired from the above in 1964

Literature

Isabelle Rouault & Bernard Dorival, Rouault, L'Oeuvre peint , vol. II, Monte Carlo, 1988, no. 1958, illustrated p. 166 Condition Executed on paper laid down on a stretched canvas, which is the original preparation. The sheet is slightly undulating in the figure's dark hair. The surface is very slightly dirty. There is a small indentation to the board near upper right corner with small loss of pigment; a few small surface scuffs are visable near the edges. Under UV light: No inpainting is apparent. Areas of uneven varnish fluoresce, as do some original pigments. Overall the work is in 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. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Catalogue Note Edward Alden Jewell states the following about the early years of Rouault's artistic production: "Though not 'officially' a Fauve, Rouault showed with the group and became popularly identified with it.  Like that of the Fauves, Rouault's was in those days an art of violent expressionism.  And like theirs it represented a revolt against the stuffy academic standards of the day.  But Rouault also walked apart.  For one thing, he differed from the Fauves in that his art of that period was not decorative.  Instead, it was passionately dedicated, as the art of the Fauves in the main was not, to pregnant social issues" (E.A. Jewell, Rouault , London, 1947, p. 8). Jewell continues, "From about 1917 onward the principal paint medium is oil.  And when Rouault elects this medium he does so not because it is 'heavier,' but simply because it lends itself to the creation of textures and effects not otherwise to be contrived.  The loaded brush dragged across a specified area can pile up rich plump sonorities, as may be observed in that memorable masterpiece, The Old King , or in The Wounded Clown. " "Often the piling up of paint is done, actually, in layers; for Rouault has long made it a practice to hold on to paintings over a considerable stretch of years, turning back to them repeatedly, brush in hand.  This procedure makes it in many cases difficult or quite impossible to date work, even work that bears a hallmark of one period rather than of another" ( ibid., p. 11). In the present work, a plethora of layers of pigment can be discerned in the composition.  The build-up of translucent and opaque paints creates a three-dimensional image that is emblematic of Rouault's oeuvre.  The use of cobalt blue in the background complemented by deep swaths of black ink to delineate the circus performer are signature elements of his painting created during the height of his artistic output. Fig. 1: The artist in his studio circa 1950.

Catalog summary

Georges Rouault Pierrette Signed G Rouault (lower right) Oil on paper mounted on canvas 19 3/8 by 13 1/8 in. 49.2 by 33.3 cm Provenance Ambroise Vollard, Paris (acquired from the artist's family) O'Hana Gallery, London Acquired from the above in 1964 Literature Isabelle Rouault & Bernard Dorival, Rouault, L'Oeuvre peint , vol. II, Monte Carlo, 1988, no. 1958, illustrated p. 166 Condition Executed on paper laid down on a stretched canvas, which is the original preparation. The sheet is slightly undulating in the figure's dark hair. The surface is very slightly dirty. There is a small indentation to the board near upper right corner with small loss of pigment; a few small surface scuffs are visable near the edges. Under UV light: No inpainting is apparent. Areas of uneven varnish fluoresce, as do some original pigments. Overall the work is in 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. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE. Catalogue Note Edward Alden Jewell states the following about the early years of Rouault's artistic production: "Though not 'officially' a Fauve, Rouault showed with the group and became popularly identified with it.  Like that of the Fauves, Rouault's was in those days an art of violent expressionism.  And like theirs it represented a revolt against the stuffy academic standards of the day.  But Rouault also walked apart.  For one thing, he differed from the Fauves in that his art of that period was not decorative.  Instead, it was passionately dedicated, as the art of the Fauves in the main was not, to pregnant social issues" (E.A. Jewell, Rouault , London, 1947, p. 8). Jewell continues, "From about 1917 onward the principal paint medium is oil.  And when Rouault elects this medium he does so not because it is 'heavier,' but simply because it lends itself to the creation of textures and effects not otherwise to be contrived.  The loaded brush dragged across a specified area can pile up rich plump sonorities, as may be observed in that memorable masterpiece, The Old King , or in The Wounded Clown. " "Often the piling up of paint is done, actually, in layers; for Rouault has long made it a practice to hold on to paintings over a considerable stretch of years, turning back to them repeatedly, brush in hand.  This procedure makes it in many cases difficult or quite impossible to date work, even work that bears a hallmark of one period rather than of another" ( ibid., p. 11). In the present work, a plethora of layers of pigment can be discerned in the composition.  The build-up of translucent and opaque paints creates a three-dimensional image that is emblematic of Rouault's oeuvre.  The use of cobalt blue in the background complemented by deep swaths of black ink to delineate the circus performer are signature elements of his painting created during the height of his artistic output. Fig. 1: The artist in his studio circa 1950.