Henri le Sidaner

Galeries Georges Petit, Paris
Fauvel Rigolleau
Dr Mollard, France
Walter Chrysler Jr., USA
Galleries Maurice Steinberg, Chicago
François Daulte, Paris

Paris, Salon de la S.N.B.A., 1918
Paris, Galeries Georges Petit, Exposition Le Sidaner, 1925, no. 2, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Acquavella Galleries, Henri Le Sidaner 1862-1939, 1962
Chicago, Galleries Maurice Steinberg, Maîtres des 19e et 20e Siècles, 1976, no. 20, illustrated in the catalogue  
Chicago, Galleries Maurice Steinberg, Paris. France and the European Scene, 1985, no. 1, illustrated in the catalogue
Paris, Musée Marmottan, Henri Le Sidaner 1862-1939, 1989, no. 24, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Camille Mauclair, Le Sidaner, Paris, 1928, p. 71
Yann Farinaux-Le Sidaner, Le Sidaner, L'œuvre peint et gravé, Milan, 1989, no. 371, illustrated in colour p. 151
Josette Galiègue, Henri Le Sidaner en son jardin de Gerberoy (exhibition catalogue), Oise, 2001, illustrated in colour p. 23

The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. This work is in good original condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate although stronger, deeper and with more green and yellow hues in the original. The colours are slightly washed out in the catalogue illustration.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Le Sidaner visited Gerberoy for the first time in March 1901 and he moved into rented accommodation in June of that year. He started painting there almost immediately and exhibited the works in the 1902 Salon to critical acclaim. He bought the property depicted in the present work in 1904 and carried out extensive renovations of the buildings and gardens. 'Once the acquisition was made in 1904, construction naturally began with the studio. This was built in a former barn, while the house was decorated with an awning and a bow window. The 'white garden'  was the first to be laid out, containing a lawn and straight avenues, but devoid of any real symmetry, just like the house itself' (R. le Sidaner, quoted in Y. Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., p. 31).

This sun-drenched scène de table is the crowning achievement of the numerous variations executed during the 1910s. The intimacy summed up by his trellises and the beauty of the flowers against the mellow sun-kissed stone of the house epitomises Le Sidaner's talent of creating subtle, serene and intimate scenes. 'His œuvre displays a taste for tender, soft and silent atmospheres. Gradually, he even went so far as to eliminate all human presence from his pictures, as if he feared that the slightest human form might disturb their muffled silence' (Y. Farinaux-Le Sidaner, op. cit., p. 31). Instead of figures, Le Sidaner focused on the architectural and domestic environments as well as the accoutrements man creates for himself. 'He considered that the silent harmony of things is enough to evoke the presence of those who live among them. Indeed, such presences are felt throughout his works. Deserted they may be but never empty' (C. Mauclair, op. cit., p. 12).

Comp: 422D07008_COMP
Henri Le Sidaner at Gerberoy