Alfred Stevens

Collection Doucet de Tillier
G. Paillet-Rotthier, Brussels
L. Rotthier (great-grandmother of the present owner, acquired at the beginning of the 20th century); thence by descent

Possibly, Paris, Salon du Champs de Mars, 1894, no. 1097
Brussels & Antwerp, L'oeuvre d'Alfred Stevens, 1907, no. 31
Charleroi, Palais des Beaux Arts, Rétrospective Alfred Stevens, 1975, no. 24

Gustave Van Zype, Les frères Stevens, Brussels, 1936, p. 108, no. 192 (erroneously catalogued as oil on canvas)

This condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, Hamish Dewar Ltd. Fine Art Conservation, 14 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU. Structural Condition The artist's panel is providing a secure and even structural support with no evidence of any structural intervention in the past. Paint Surface The paint surface has an even but discoloured varnish layer and I would be confident that cleaning would transform the overall appearance of the painting. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows just retouchings around the framing edges and a few very minor scattered spots. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in excellent and stable condition with considerable potential should the painting be cleaned and revarnished.
"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."

Painted circa 1870-1875.

Hailed by his contemporary, the artist Félicien Rops, as the 'best Belgian painter', Alfred Stevens displays in his oeuvre an affinity with the artistic techniques burgeoning in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century.

The medium of the present work reflects the continuing northern European propensity for painting on panel, while its palette and style betray the influence of the French Impressionists. The mahogany panel on which the work is painted enhances the lustrous richness of the fabrics, the silky textures of the flowers and the verdant greens of the garden. The studied composition of a fragrant beauty looking out at the viewer while leaning nonchalently on an ornate balustrade recalls Edouard Manet's celebrated Le balcon of 1868-69 (fig. 1).  

Stevens and Manet had formed a close friendship in Paris and often played dominoes in the Café Riche on the Boulevard des Italiens. Stevens' admiration for Manet was reciprocated by the Frenchman who once remarked, 'Yesterday I saw at Hoschede's a superb Stevens, please pass on to him my sincere compliments'.

Similarly to Manet's paintings of Parisians, Stevens' depictions of elegantly dressed ladies in fashionable attire were a record of his times. Stevens was well connected and his close association with the highest echelons of Second Empire society meant that even such social luminaries as Princesses Mathilde and Metternich often lent him dresses for his models.

The Blue Ribbon has no particular narrative yet is not without context. The bouquet of roses placed in front of the girl and the vivid palette used to depict her dress, hat, parasol and the garden behind evoke the innocence of a young life about to enter adulthood.

FIG. 1, Edouard Manet, Le Balcon, 1868-69, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris