Paul Sérusier

Sale: Me Ader, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, December 1, 1959, lot 88
Private Collection, Paris (acquired at the above sale)
Thence by descent

Marcel Guicheteau, Paul Sérusier, Paris, 1976, no. 59, illustrated p. 209

This work is in good condition. For the complete condition report prepared by Simon Parkes Art Conservation please contact the Impressionist & Modern Art Department at +1 (212) 606 – 7360.
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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Madeleine Bretonne is one of the imaginative compositions Sérusier completed in Brittany, where he worked closely with Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard and Meyer e Haan, as well as other artists known collectively as the Pont-Aven School. The Breton town of Pont-Aven and nearby Le Pouldu were unique for the distinctive culture of the local people and their timeless way of life, which offered a dramatic contrast to the modernity of Paris at the turn of the century. Sérusier and his colleagues were fascinated with the simplicity and rustic beauty of this region and depicted the daily activities of the local peasants in many of their compositions.

The present work, which the artist executed in 1892 at the height of his involvement with the Pont-Aven group, depicts the tranquil beauty that fascinated these artists during the early part of the 1890s. Under Gauguin’s influence, Sérusier began to experiment around 1888 with a new style of painting, using flat colors and outlining simple forms chosen for both emotional and descriptive reasons. Maurice Denis noted how Gauguin initially explained to Sérusier his ideas about painting: "What colour do you see that tree? Is it green? Then use green, the finest green in your palette. And that shadow? It’s blue, if anything? Don’t be afraid to paint it as blue as you possibly can" (Maurice Denis, “L’Influence de Paul Gauguin” in L’Occidente, October 1903).