Georges Braque

Galerie Neu Kunst, Hans Goltz, Munich
Galerie Flechtheim, Berlin
Curt Valentin (Buchholz Gallery), New York (acquired shortly before October 1938)
Pierre Matisse, New York (acquired from the above March 15, 1939)
Ruth McClymonds Maitland
Private Collection, acquired from the above in March 1939
Thence by descent to the present owner                    

Berlin, Galerie Alfred Flectheim, Matisse, Braque, Picasso, 1930, no. 18, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, Gallery Buchholz, Georges Braque, 1938
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Leslie M. Maitland ,1939, no. 6
University of California, Los Angeles Art Galleries, Ruth McClymonds Maitland Collection, 1959
Providence, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 1980 (long-term loan)

George Isarlov, Georges Braque, Paris, 1932, no. 239, listed p. 21
Fritz Laufer, Braque, Bern, 1954, illustrated pl. 18
Galerie Maeght, ed., Catalogue de l'oeuvre de Georges Braque. Peintures 1916-1923, Paris, 1962, no. 61, illustrated

Very good condition. Canvas is unlined.  Surface is slighty dirty and there is a tiny area of craquelure at the extreme upper right corner. Under ultra-violet light, a 1 cm diameter spot of uneven varnish glows towards the upper left corner. There is a 2 inch long, hairline region of paint loss that has been retouched near lower left and another hairline loss at the center of the lower edge that is visible to the naked eye. 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.

After his service in the First World War, Braque returned to his art by 1917 with a renewed sense of exploration and possibility. While continuing the geometric abstraction of Cubism which he had invented with his colleague Picasso prior to the war, Braque began to create richer and more vivid surfaces for his paintings during this time. By priming his canvases with black ground, the artist created a dramatic contrast that outlines the subjects of his paintings. The still-lifes of this period in particular are punctuated by powerful contrasts that instill the inanimate objects with vibrant color.

The present picture, Le Radical, painted in 1919, falls within this prolific and inventive period. Braque here translates a horizontal surface into a vertical field. Though the subject is expertly abstracted, the viewer is still able to visually reconstruct elements, such as a cluster of fruit, a patterned table surface, and the cover of Le Radical, the left-wing French periodical. In 1939, the gallery owner Pierre Matisse sent the present piece to Mrs. Maitland with the following note regarding its significance: "I have sent you the Braque still life I mentioned in my wire and I hope you will like it. It is the only example of that period, one of the very best, that I have found for a long time. The colors are cool and deep and there is gravity about the whole picture which is very satisfying. The composition is also quiet and pleasing. In all I think it is a picture that will hold and in which one will always find something new to enjoy" (Pierre Matisse, letter to Mrs. Maitland dated March 23, 1939).