Gabriel Germain Joncherie

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting on canvas is in beautiful state. It has not been removed from its original stretcher. The paint layer is slightly cracked yet not unattractively so. There are a few retouches which have been applied to the burner situated directly underneath the plate, to a spot above the plate and around the handle of the fork and to a few spots in the apples. Overall the condition is healthy and the picture should be hung as is.
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.

Few biographical details are known about Joncherie.  He was active in Paris and exhibited as a painter of still lifes, interiors and genre scenes at the Paris Salon between 1831-1844.  He lived in the rue de l'Echiquier and his son Hector-François, who was born in 1824, studied under him. 

The present picture continues a tradition of still-life painting established by Chardin, which was carried on by artists such as Phillipe Rousseau, François Bonvin, Thedore Ribot and Antoine Vollon.  This painting may be compared to a group of still life paintings of the 1830s and 40s that feature the same motif of eggs cooking on a stove in a blue and white terracotta bowl of similar proportions.  A similar painting was recently sold at Christie's, London on November 16, 2006, lot 68, and a variant of it is in a Dutch private collection.¹  The present painting, however, adds a new element to the composition, a tray of apples ready for baking.  The handling of paint, across the white highlights especially, shows a brilliant hand that seems to exceed the artistic skill displayed in even the signed and dated pictures.

1  See R. Leeuw,  "Phillippe Rousseau," in Van Gogh Museum Journal, 1995, reproduced fig. 7.