Maurice de Vlaminck

Henri Simon, Paris (acquired directly from the artist in the 1920s)
Thence by the descent to the present owner

The canvas is not lined. There is a layer of varnish preventing the UV light examination from fully penetrating, there is a very fine diagonal line of retouching approximately 3.5cm long towards the upper left corner, there is a spot of retouching possibly relating to some paint loss and a few fine lines of retouching towards the right of the upper edge. There is some frame rubbing visible from previous framing along the left and lower edge, with some associated paint loss. This work is in overall very good condition.
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Strikingly composed of sweeping brushstrokes and bold planes of colour, the present work, painted circa 1911, depicts the grounds and exterior of Chateau de Saint Cloud near Paris. A former royal palace which was originally built in the sixteenth century, Saint Cloud also played a significant role in Napoleonic history, being the scene of the coup d’etat of 18 Brumaire during which Napoleon first claimed power in 1799. The environs of Paris – in particular the landscape and towns situated alongside the edge of the Seine – served as a continuing source of creative inspiration for Maurice de Vlaminck during this period. Maïthé Vallés-Blèd notes the significance of this geographical area for Vlaminck, arguing that: ‘His familiarity with, and emotional and aesthetic attachment to, these landscapes is comparable in many respects to what pulled Cézanne incessantly back to Mont Sainte-Victoire’ (Maïthe Vallés-Bled, Vlaminck, Catalogue critique des peintures et céramiques de la période fauve, Paris, 2008, p. 37). The present work reveals Vlaminck’s extraordinary ability to convey atmosphere and a sense of place through his highly accomplished and assured painterly language.