Kees van Dongen

Ainsley Graham, Los Angeles (acquired by 1972)
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 28th March 1973, lot 52 
Paul Kantor Gallery, Los Angeles (purchased at the above sale)
B. G. Cantor, Beverly Hills
Private Collection
Thence by descent to the present owner

The canvas is not lined. There appear to be no signs of retouching under UV light although there are a few scattered specks of fluorescence mainly to the sitter's chest probably due to an uneven varnish and some slight discoloration in areas. There is paint shrinkage throughout the sitter's hair with two associated spots of paint loss (visible in the catalogue illustration). Apart from light craquelure towards the centre right of the canvas, some surface dirt and frame rubbing to the edges with associated paint loss, not visible when framed, this work is in good condition. Colours: Fairly accurate. The colours are more vibrant in the original.
"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."

Dating from the 1920s, this beautiful portrait: Suzanne, encapsulates the elegant spirit of a period that would later become known as les années folles. Van Dongen's exuberant use of colour was a playful means of injecting a traditional theme with new life and vigour. Indeed his success as a portraitist in the 1910s was a means of relocating to the playground of the Riviera in the 1920s where his artistic success continued.

Known as the principal portraitist among the Fauve artists, Van Dongen was a ubiquitous figure in the Parisian art world, and his dissolute lifestyle and distinctive aesthetic made him one of the key chroniclers of this period of restless hedonism. The brilliant colours of his palette and the distinctive, elongated forms of his figures evoke the exotic bohemian lifestyle of his sitters. As he said in 1913, 'I cannot help painting these women in garish colours; perhaps I do so in order to express the intensity of their lives' (quoted in Kees van Dongen (exhibition catalogue), Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 1989, p. 7). 

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Kees van Dongen with one of his models, 1928