John Maclauchlan Milne 1885-1957

STRUCTURE This picture is in excellent original condition with strong colours and rich impasto throughout. The panel is sound and the paint surface is stable and there are no signs of craquelure. The picture is clean and ready to hang. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT There are no signs of retouching. FRAME Contained in a simple gilt frame.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Milne's paintings of Paris are scarce and of the one hundred and sixty exhibits at he Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Glasgow Institute, only five were Parisian views. These pictures are perhaps the most Colourist of all his works. He had a deep love and fascination for the French capital which at this time was one of the most vibrant melting-pots for artistic activity with its cafés, art galleries and jardins filled with painters, poets and philosophers of all nationalities. It was perhaps the bonds of the old alliance between France and Scotland that first led Scottish artists to Paris and there they discovered not only a wealth of interesting subjects for inspiration but also a new way to look at painting. 

Milne first visited Paris before the war and when he returned with his French wife in the aftermath, he found a city that was physically fairly unscathed but the people had suffered terribly and the atmosphere was very different. Milne himself had fought on the Western Front but his love of France had increased rather than diminished as a result of this traumatic experience. Milne had been able to travel to Paris largely because of the support of one of his most loyal patrons Alex Keiller, the owner of a Dundee marmalade factory. He lived there between 1919 and 1923 before his move to the Riviera.

Milne lived on the Rue de Quarte-Vents, close to the Pont Marie depicted in the present picture. King Louis XIII had laid the first stone of the bridge of Pont Marie in 1614 and it was finally completed in 1635. In 1658 rising water caused the collapse of the arches adjoining the island and these were rebuilt in 1684. Milne was attracted by the industry of the river traffic, the bustle of the river framed by the elegant backdrop of trees and buildings. He painted another oil of the same view in 1922 from a higher vantage above the bridge and a later watercolour of the same view is known.

The present picture is painted on a board of French manufactor which was of a modest size to enable the artist to complete the painting in one sitting to ensure consitency. This has resulted in a painting which is energetically posed with a warm and varied colour scheme. It was this brilliancy of colour that attracted collectors and it is interesting to note that even early in his career collectors hung Milne's work among paintings by Van Gogh and the Impressionists.