Pierre Bonnard

M. Pasternak, Paris
Lipa Drojevic, Paris
Acquired from the above in 1955

Anne Pingeot, Bonnard sculpteur, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 2006, p. 94, illustrated p. 95

Good condition; a number of small nicks and losses, particularly around the base and in the rock formation behind the figure's head; some surface dirt and dust accumulated in crevices
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.

"Bonnard paints objects as though he has no prior knowledge of their forms, as though he has watched them take their shape from their light. However familiar the object, its appearance is never fixed" (Sarah Whitfield & John Elderfield, Bonnard, (exhibition catalogue), Tate Gallery, London, 1998). Bonnard's intimate depictions of nudes are indebted to the tradition of Degas, whose pastels of women washing were a great source of inspiration for the artist. The present work is a rare example of the artist's use of sculpture, whose three dimensional qualities highlight the metamorphosis of the woman and her surroundings, creating an inner feeling of beauty which, in Bonnard's own words, is "at one with nature".

 

 

Fig. I  Pierre Bonnard, Femme assoupie or L'Indolente, 1899, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris