Le Maître des Cortèges

The following condition report has been provided by Catherine Polnecq, 12 rue Saint-Sabin - 75011 Paris, Tel: 33 (0)1 48 05 30 53, Email: c.polnecq@hotmail.fr, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Good overall condition. The canvas has been relined. Under a new irregular varnish (matt finish in the sky due to a selective cleaning). The paint is beginning to lift in dark areas in the upper part visible to the naked eye. Under ultraviolet light: The painting has been restored on different occasions. There are a few small repainted areas: 1 cm high restoration along the painting's edges, Two small retouches, one around the young woman face on the right, in the sky, and the other in the red clothes of the young boy on the right. Some small dots of repaint in the hats, hair and curve of cheeks of the two boys on the right. A damage covered with mastic (5 cm diameter) is visible in the old woman dress on the left.
"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."

Le pseudonyme du Maitre des Cortèges est un nom de convention qui regroupe une série d'œuvres ayant pour base de références deux tableaux anciennement considérés comme la réalisation des Frères Le Nain, l'un conservé au musée de Philadelphie et le second ayant fait partie de la collection personnelle de Pablo Picasso et maintenant au Musée Picasso à Paris.

Depuis le XVIII^ème siècle au moins, ces deux tableaux, de même que toutes les œuvres du Maître des Cortèges, étaient attribués aux Frères Le Nain. Pourtant, en 1935, Roberto Longhi, et en 1937, Charles Sterling, faisaient part de leurs doutes à ce sujet. De nos jours, tous les historiens d'art s'accordent à dire qu'il ne peut s'agir d'aucun des trois frères et que nous sommes donc en présence d'un maître voisin. Le Maître des Cortèges apparaît comme une des personnalités les plus ambitieuses et les plus créatives parmi les nombreux artistes dans le monde des Le Nain (voir G. Isarlo, "Les trois Le Nain et leur suite", in La Renaissance, mars 1938, p. 18).


PEASANTS RESTING

Oil on canvas

The Master of Corteges is the name now given to the author of a group of works formed around two principal pictures, one in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the other, formerly in the personal collection of Pablo Picasso, in the Picasso Museum in Paris.

From at least the 18^th century, both of these works, as well as all the others in this group, were considered to be works of the Le Nain brothers. Roberto Longhi, in 1935, and later Charles Sterling in 1937, were the first to question this, and since then scholars have been unanimous in recognising a hand independent of the three brothers. Of all the artists in the Le Nain circle, The Master of Corteges is now recognised as one of the most creative and ambitious artist (see G. Isarlo, "Les trois Le Nain et leur suite", in La Renaissance, March 1938, p. 18).