Lot 134
  • 134

Albert Marquet

Estimate
500,000 - 700,000 USD
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Description

  • Le Pont Neuf sous la Neige
  • Signed Marquet (lower left)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 23 3/4 by 28 7/8 in.
  • 60.3 by 73.4 cm

Provenance

Jean Marc Tremsal, Suresnes 
Probably acquired from the above, circa 1970

Exhibited

Paris, Galerie Schmit, Marquet, 1967, no. 93

Condition

This painting is in good condition. The canvas has an old and very thin lining which nicely supports the surface with out compromising the texture. The reason for this lining is most likely a scrape which runs approximately two and a half inches in length diagonally in the center of the left side, in amongst the trees. This scrape has broken the paint layer but does not appear to have broken the canvas itself. Elsewhere there are no restorations. The painting is more or less clean and the retouches addressing this loss have been competently applied. This report has been kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation.
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.

Catalogue Note

In Le Pont Neuf sous la neige, Marquet focuses on the urban landscape of Paris and the particular effects of snow upon the cityscape. The artist was increasingly interested in urban views from elevated viewpoints and produced many landscapes in the first decades of the 20th century that depicted the streets and landmarks of Paris from a higher and more inclusive vantage point. Marquet had moved to Paris before the turn of the century upon his mother's initiative and promptly began his artistic dialogue with the inspirational city. Similar to Pissarro's contemporaneous methods, Marquet would often choose an apartment based on the vantage points it afforded him and spend long hours painting at the window (see fig. 1).  Many of these paintings demonstrate a well-tuned ability to capture the essence of a Parisian street with ostensibly simple brushstrokes. In the current work, Marquet frames his composition around the oldest and probably most notable bridge in Paris at the time, Le Pont Neuf.

Undoubtedly inspired by the influential work of the Impressionists, Marquet executed multiple studies of specific views of Paris under different conditions of weather. Of particular interest to these artists was the effect of a fresh snowfall on both rural and urban landscapes. In contrast to his contemporaries however, Marquet's approach was characterized by the creation of unmodulated patches of color that revealed a modern sensibility. As David Setford writes, "... whereas the Impressionists sought to understand the visual subtleties of atmosphere through the juxtaposition of small dabs of paint, Marquet translated light, water and land into much more solid tonal effects. For just these reasons, Marquet's is an art that from his early years seems somehow more timeless and permanent than that of his contemporaries" (David F. Setford, "Albert Marquet: from Fauvism to Impressionist?," From Fauvism to Impressionism: Albert Marquet (exhibition catalogue), New York, 2001, p. 6).

Fig. 1 The artist in his studio.