Kees van Dongen

Alphonse Bellier
Private collection (Acquired from the above circa 1950)
By descent to the former owner

Good Condition. Original canvas. This work is somewhat thinly painted and the weave of the canvas is particularly evident in the mountains in the lower left corner and in the cloud. Under UV light, some original pigments fluoresce, including the dark green foliage beneath her left foot and in the darker strawberry tones in her hair and shoulder. There are several dots of inpainting on her forehead. There are some thin lines of inpainting in the upper part of sky to cover craquelure and also a number of pinhead size dots in upper part of sky, possibly to address mold. There are a few pinhead size dots in her dress. There is an area, of about 4 inches in diameter, which is 6 inches to right of her waist that shows a more concentrated area of small, filled-in cracks. There are also scattered strokes of inpainting to cover frame abrasion along the extreme edges. 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.

In La Promeneuse, Guethary, van Dongen depicts an unidentified sitter whose seductive pose and attire give her an air of vibrancy and boldness characteristic of his most accomplished portraits. The alluring model's beauty is accentuated by her hair and fashionable dress.  The subtle tones of the figure are juxtaposed against the brilliant blue and green background, creating a dramatic and striking contrast. The figure's green highlights, typical of the artist's Fauve portraits, demonstrate his disregard for anatomy and naturalistic representation.

 

Denys Sutton writes, "[van Dongen's] reputation was made in the 1920s and '30s by his portraits.  His major successes were scored with his portraits of women.... In which chic and charm are admirably suggested..... it is as well to reflect of the wise words of J.L. Vaudoyer: 'The Portraits of M. van Dongen will probably later be psychological documents.  Like a Van Dyck or a Gainsborough, a Goya or a Guys, van Dongen does not paint the fashion of his time but the women of his time.  His exaggerations are descriptions, a type of critical description, his deformations are almost accusations.  In this respect it may almost be said that M. Van Dongen is the moralist of this Salon' (Denys Sutton, van Dongen, Tucson, 1971, p. 48).