Kees van Dongen

Paul Pétridès, Paris
Galerie Samy Chalon, Paris
Sale: Galérie Charpentier, Paris, June 14, 1957, lot 63
Strong Foundation, New York (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 8, 1994, lot 38)
Private Collection, New York (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's New York, May 8, 2002, lot 52)
Richard Green Fine Paintings, London
Acquired from the above

Work is in good condition. Canvas is lined. Surface is bright and lively. Under UV light: scattered pindots of inpainting in sky, mostly in left half, as well as a one inch stroke in the orange dress at lower left and two pindots in the green tent at lower right. Otherwise fine.
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.

The fashionable summer resort of Deauville on the Normandy coast attracted many leading artists from the mid-nineteenth century through the early 1900s. Van Dongen's affinity for brilliant color and his swift eye for movement were well suited to the vitality of Deauville's aristocratic vacationers, as they congregated on the beach by the bathing tents or at the nearby racetrack.

In L'Horloge de la plage de Deauville, ominous gray clouds pour in overhead, while bright flags wave triumphantly in the accelerating wind, seeming to signify the beach goers' resistance to the threatening weather ahead. Van Dongen was apparently just as resolute in his mission to capture this scene; he has painted himself in the lower right corner, an inconspicuous figure preoccupied with representing the activity of the beach and last light of a warm summer afternoon.