Gustave Caillebotte

Jacques Lamy, Paris (circa 1894)
P. Verne, Paris
Sale: Christie's, New York, May 6, 1998, lot 197
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, Sa vie et son oeuvre, Catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, Paris, 1978, no. 199, illustrated p. 149 
Marie Berhaut, Gustave Caillebotte, Catalogue raisonné des peintures et pastels, Paris 1994, no. 232, illustrated p. 161

Good condition. Canvas is lined. Under UV light, line of inpainting along top edge and scattered spots along other 3 edges to address frame abrasion. There is a 1 ½ inch vertical repaired tear above the tree line at left edge and two other vertical repaired tears, one 1 ½ inch and one 1 inch, below the trees right of center. There is also a 6 inch vertical repaired tear in the trees left of center. In the left side of tree area, there are scattered spots that fluoresce but do not appear to be inpainting.
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.

The year 1882 marked a turning point in Caillebotte's career, as it was the last year in which he participated in the Impressionist exhibition.  In addition to the portraits, interiors and depictions of urban Paris he had produced in 1882, the artist also executed views of the Normandy coast and the areas around Honfleur and Trouville.  As Marie Berhaut notes, these paintings were an "introduction to the second part of Caillebotte's oeuvre, which would be devoted almost exclusively to landscapes and seascapes" (quoted in Gustave Caillebotte: Urban Impressionist, Chicago, 1995, p. 256).

In June of 1880, Caillebotte traveled to Normandy to participate in the regatta at Le Havre.  An avid sailor, the artist returned to the Normandy coast almost every summer thereafter. As Rodolphe Rapetti observes: "In his Normandy landscapes, Caillebotte was entering territory in which several of his predecessors--notably Eugene Boudin and Monet--had previously distinguished themselves, in Impressionism's earliest years. These works inevitably bring to mind certain paintings by Monet, who sojourned frequently in Normandy beginning in 1881" (Gustave Caillebotte: Urban Impressionist, Chicago, 1995, p. 257).    

Fig. 1 Claude Monet, L'Église de Varengeville à contre-jour, 1882, oil on canvas, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Great Britain