Émile-Othon Friesz

Sale: Christies, New York, May 12, 1988, lot 247
Hilde Gerst Fine Art, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1989

Good condition. Original canvas. There is a pinhead-size loss just right of the center of the composition. Minor buckling along top edge, particularly near the top left corner and a few places along bottom edge. Under UV light, there is a small spot of inpainting in lower left corner to address frame abrasion and another ½ inch stroke 2 inches from bottom in lower right quadrant. Otherwise fine.
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 Havrais painter Friesz was one of the last artists to join the Fauve movement.  In 1905, he was still painting in an essentially Impressionist manner, and it was only on a trip to Antwerp in 1906 with Georges Braque that Friesz made the dramatic leap towards the Fauve palette and technique that he had so admired during the seminal Salon d'Automne in 1905.  John Elderfield states, "In 1906, Braque and Friesz were not even at the stage of colorful subjects... It was only when the pair traveled south, as their colleagues had done before, that their color was fully liberated from the atmospheric and the Impressionist and their Fauve styles were fully established" (J. Elderfield, Fauvism and its Affinities, New York, 1976, p).  The present work was likely painted at this pivotal time in the South of France, and the vibrant, saturated coloration of the present work suggests both the enticing colors of Southern France and the revolution taking place in Friesz's painterly style.

Fig. 1 The artist with Raoul Dufy and Bouchon, in Bouchon's studio