Lucien Simon

J. Valmy-Baysse, Peintres d'aujourd'hui: Lucien Simon, sa vie, son oeuvre, Paris, 1910, illustrated
L. F. Aubert, Peintures et aquarelles de Lucien Simon, Paris, 1924, pp. 73-75, illustrated p. 51
J. Ducros, "Dire que l'on ose encore peindre", L'Art et la Mer, 1985, illustrated p. 22

Very good condition, unlined, the work has been cleaned; under UV: a few scattered retouches in the sky and in the chin and upper lip of the seated woman, a few pin dots of inpainting in the robe of the man at lower left.
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.

Lucien Simon is known mostly for his depictions of rural life in Brittany, where he settled in 1902.  Mascarade is an important example of a picture from this period in his career: the woman in blue, Madame René Menard, modelled for the artist a number of times, and wears the same dress in Soirée dans l'atelier of 1904 (Cantor Collection, California).  Mascarade must have been a favorite of the artist: he posed proudly for a photograph in his studio in front of the large canvas (Valmy-Baysse, illustrated p. 16).  Simon was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1927, and was director of the Musée Jacquemart-André from 1937 to 1943.