Georges Seurat

Bernheim-Jeune, Paris
Brown Boveri Collection, Baden
Thence by descent to the present owner

Henri Dorra & John Rewald, Seurat, L'Œuvre peint; Biographie et catalogue critique, Paris, 1959, no. 105, illustrated p. 112
C. M. de Hauke, Seurat et son œuvre, Paris, 1961, vol. I, no. 97, illustrated p. 61
André Chastel & Fiorella Minervino, Tout l'œuvre peint de Seurat, Paris, 1973, no. 103, illustrated p. 98

The panel is sound and there appear to be no signs of retouching under UV light. This work is in good original 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."

Berge de la Seine signals the transition in Georges Seurat's artistic œuvre from Impressionism towards Post-Impressionism and Pointillism. It was created in 1884, the same year as the artist began to work on one of the masterpieces of the Post-Impressionist movement, A Sunday Afternoon on the Ile de la Grande Jatte, completed in 1886. In the present work Seurat deploys an impressionist colour palette and applies impulsive and irregular brushstrokes to represent the sky and the river bank. However, in Seurat's treatment of the water the size of the brushstrokes become more regular and the contours appear clearer, suggesting the development of a more organised and calculated style of painting. This trend would culminate with Grande Jatte, in which Seurat dismissed the exaggerated individualism of the Impressionists in favour of an intellectual and scientific brushwork, which puts the work, and not the artist, to the fore.

This work came to the present owner by descent from the Brown Boveri Collection. The Brown Boveri family founded the BCC machine factory in Baden.