Paul Signac

Charles Vildrac, Paris
Dr. Jean Lavaille, Bort-les-Orgues (acquired in 1960)
Helen F. Yaseen, New York (and sold from the estate: Sotheby's, New York, November 6, 1991, lot 38)
Galerie de la Présidence, Paris
Acquired from the above in 2002

Paris, Galerie Druet, 1927
Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paul Signac, 1930, no. 45
Paris, Petit-Palais, Paul Signac, 1934, no. 48
Purchase, New York, Neuberger Museum, Selections from the Yaseen Family Collection, 1983-84

Marc Sandoz, "L'Oeuvre de Paul Signac à La Rochelle, Croix de Vie, Les Sables d'Olonne de 1911 à 1930", in Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de l'art français, Paris, 1955-56, no. 9
Marc Sandoz, "Signac et Marquet à La Rochelle, Les Sables d'Olonne, La Chaume, Croix de Vie. Influence du site sur leur oeuvre. Oeuvre inédites 1911-1933", in Dibutate, vol. IV, Paris, 1957, pp. 1-31
Françoise Cachin, Signac: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, Paris, 2000, no. 576, illustrated p. 327

Canvas is not lined. Surface is clean and bears a rich and textured impasto. Under UV light one centimeter stroke of inpainting two inches above center of bottom edge, in addition to ten – fifteen pin dot retouches in lower right quadrant as well as a few other pin dots of inpainting scattered throughout the canvas. The work appears to have been very sensitively restored. In addition to this, some pigments fluoresce but appear to be original. This 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.

Signac's interest in La Rochelle began in 1911, when he first visited this picturesque port on the Atlantic coast of France.  The artist revisited this small fishing town many times, fascinated by the brightly-colored fishing vessels as they sailed into the harbor between the Tour de St. Nicholas and the Tour de la Chaîne.  According to Marina Ferretti-Bocquillon, "Asked in 1922 why he painted La Rochelle so often, Signac is said to have replied: 'I go there for the boats: for the color of the hulls and the sails.  A magnificent sight!  They come from all over to sell fish, it's like a library of boats'"(M. Ferretti-Bocquillon,Signac 1863-1935 (exhibition catalogue), New York, 2001, p. 271).

A chief exponent of Neo-Impressionism, Signac adopted the pointilliste brush stroke in 1886 and continued to paint with variations of this technique for the rest of his life.  In the last few decades of his celebrated career, Signac worked extensively in watercolor and his paintings are often based on ideas explored in his works on paper rather than on specific sites.

Le Chenal de la Rochelle is a superb example of Paul Signac's mature style embodying a subtle exploration of the nuances of light and its reflection off water, combined with chromatic richness. His lifelong passion for sailing and his intimate knowledge of that pastime is reflected in his maritime subjects. Signac was well known among his contemporaries as an avid sailor, and often hosted friends such as Luce, Valtat, van Rysselberghe, Cross, among others, on excursions along the Siene and the Mediterranean coast (see fig 1).   The present work illustrates Signac's understanding of boats' rigging and is evidenced by his handling of the flying topsails on the gaff-rigged vessels.  The fishing boat's registration numbers were not lost on the artist, who faithfully captured that nautical detail, as well. According to the contemporary critic Felix Fenéon, the 'chromatic opulence in Paul Signac's paintings decorates deliberate, audacious and rhythmic compositions which inevitably bring to mind the names of great masters such as Poussin and Claude Lorrain...' (quoted in Jean Sutter (ed.), The Neo-Impressionists, Greenwich, 1970, p. 60).

Fig. 1 Paul Signac at the helm of Olympia circa 1895, Signac Archives, Paris