Théo van Rysselberghe

Galerie Druet, Paris
Browse & Delbanco, London 
Hirschl & Adler, New York
Longuetty
John W. Wilson, Massachussetts (acquired by 1964; sale: Christie's, New York, 16th May 1985, lot 339)
Holmes à Court Collection, Perth
Keitelman Gallery, Brussels
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1997

Paris, Grandes serres de l'exposition universelle, Société des artistes indépendants, 1902, no. 1758
Brussels, La Libre Esthétique, 1903, no. 315
Weimar, Galerie von Payern, Deutsche und französische Impressionism und Neo-impressionism, 1903
Helsingfors, 1904
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Summer Loan, 1979

Théo van Rysselberghe, Letter to Henry Van de Velde, 20th September 1901
Théo van Rysselberghe, Letter to Octave Maus, Autumn 1902
Théo van Rysselberghe, Letter to Henry Van de Velde, 19th December 1903
Camille Mauclair, 'TVR', in L'art decoratif, Paris, March 1903, p. 81
André Fontainas, L'art et les artistes, 1919, no. 3,  p. 107
Gustave Van Zype, 'Théo van Rysselberghe', in Annuaire de l'Académie Royale de Belgique, Brussels, 1932
Jean Sutter, Les Néo-impressionnistes, Paris & Lausanne, 1970, p. 208
Ronald Feltkamp, Théo van Rysselberghe. Catalogue raisonné, Brussels, 2003, no. 1901-012, illustrated in colour p. 86 & illustrated p. 333

The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. Apart from some very light paint shrinkage to the blue ribbon under the figure's chin, this work is in very good condition.
"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."

Jeune Femme au bord de la grève exhibits the twin pre-occupations that shaped Van Rysselberghe's unique vision of Post-Impressionism, marrying the pointillist techniques of Seurat and Signac with style of portraiture that owes much to the example of Whistler. Theo Van Rysselberghe first encountered the work of Seurat and Signac in 1886 when he travelled to Paris in the company of the poet Emile Verhaeren. Determined to introduce the new style into Belgian art, he invited Signac to exhibit in the salon of Les XX just a year after their initial meeting in 1887, and became one of the few followers of Signac and Seurat that would fully incorporate their chromatic discoveries of applying paint in small dabs of complementary and contrasting colour into his own art.

Painted in 1901, the present work shows how the artist, like many of the other Post-Impressionists, turned away from the strict discipline of pointillisme towards a more naturalistic style around the turn of the century. "About 1900, Van Rysselberghe's art relaxed. The colourist had gradually left behind the orthodoxy of neo-impressionism. He was still 'separating' but in a less methodical manner. His brush-stroke was becoming larger. He was manipulating the brush and matching pure colour tones to each other with a new freedom. He was moving away from the technique of light-painting while preserving its spirit; he seemed no longer to consult anything but his instinct and his senses in the choice of tone and strength of colour, and in this disposition of strokes" (Paul Fierens, Théo van Rysselberghe, Brussels, 1937, p. 27)

The broader and more relaxed brushstrokes enable Van Rysselberghe to expand the possibilities of his portraiture, providing him with more scope to capture the ambience of the scene and the sensibility of the sitter. The artist here depicts a young lady sitting in the estuary of Ambleteusse, a village situated to the north of Boulogne very much visited by Van Rysselberghe and his friends, and allowed him to explore the theme of the figure in landscape in numerous works such as Summer Afternoon (1900), Young women on the beach (1901), Young girl with straw bonnet (1901) and The Reading (1903).

In this work the marine landscape is rendered in a variety of pastel hues, which complement the tones of the model's hat and flowing dress. Her pose and clasped hands are characteristic of the formal traditions of portraiture, but pointillist technique and unique palette subvert the conventions of composition, subordinating the distinction between figure and landscape to the overall ambience of the scene, created though the chromatic interplay of pastel colours. The enigmatic expression of the model's intense blue eyes brings a unique individual charm to the work.