Victor Gabriel Gilbert

Sale: Christie's, New York, May 21, 1986, lot 122, illustrated (as Marketplace)
Edmond Safra (acquired at the above sale for the Republic National Bank)
HSBC's Corporate Art Collection (and sold, Sotheby's, New York, October 26, 2004, lot 145, illustrated, as Les Halles, Paris)
MacConnal-Mason, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Probably, Paris, Salon, 1885, no. 1096

The energy surrounding the exchange of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and flowers at the various place des marchés in the bustling city of Paris enamored Victor Gilbert and prompted the works for which he is most celebrated. The enormous meat and produce market in north-central Paris, Les Halles, was a frequent subject for Gilbert, and it also served as the backdrop for Emile Zola’s Le ventre de Paris (1873).

In the present work, a soft afternoon light beaming through skylights brightens a corner of this small indoor market, illuminating the various wares. On full display are Gilbert’s skills as a master of still life.  With a meticulous attention to detail, he expertly renders every detail from a glass pitcher, to straw baskets, to the poultry and game in the stalls, and even to the customer’s hat being finely fashioned with blooms from the flower stand.

Gilbert likely included this work at the 1885 Paris Salon, as a contemporary journal describes his market scene in which the customers have all left and the merchants are left to take a break. The butchers have turned over their stall in order to make a game table and play the card game piquet. A little further, a spirited young woman and her fellow market tenants play a game of palets, a drinking cap game, with a wager likely made on the poultry pieces, game, leg of lamb and vegetables that Gilbert has been so careful to paint.

Over a century later, Gilbert’s vivid realization of market life in the present work continues to enthrall, reaffirming why he is considered one of the most celebrated Realist painters of his generation.

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc: This work does not appear to be lined. The paint layer is clean and varnished. There is a reinforcement on the reverse corresponding to a loss in the turkeys on the table on the far right, which has been filled but not retouched, and it can be seen with the naked eye. There is very slight thinness in the brown color behind the head of the figure in black on the right side. Under ultraviolet light, a few small cracks in the lower left show retouches. There are remnants of old varnish here and there. Some of the thinness behind the figure in black described above has received retouches, but perhaps not quite enough. The work is in very good condition overall and can be hung in its current state.
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.
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