Louis Abel-Truchet

Private Collector (since circa 1979)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Paris, Salon, 1892, no. 1618

Unlined, finely and widely patterned craquelure throughout, stretcher bar marks visible along top and center, 2 by 1 inch L-shaped tear to the right of the solider on left surrounded by area of pigment loss, 2 by 1 inch piece of tape on top of hole to left of horse and carriage on right, tape apparent in upper right corner, a few scattered chips of loss, surface appears dirty; under UV: no inpainting apparent.
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.

In the last few decades of the nineteenth century in Paris, the proliferation of public spaces greatly altered urban living and drew people, particularly women, out from the private realm of their households onto the public stage. The co-mingling of disparate social classes throughout the city created an urban spectacle that became the favored motif for artists such as Degas, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Béraud, and Seurat, among others. Such artist's compelling interpretations of urban dwelling testify to the excitement and energy inherent in chronicling the themes of modern French life.

In Paris, la place Clichy après la pluie, Louis Abel-Truchet depicts a bustling day at the well-known Parisian square. The sheen on the street and the overcast sky suggest a recent rainfall and the barren trees denote the winter season. Through his individual depictions of the various Parisian characters, Abel-Truchet captures a cross-section of Paris society, businessmen and workers, the social elite, the bourgeoisie and the common man, all seen going about their daily routines on a winter's day around Place de Clichy. Place de Clichy is situated in the northwest quadrant of Paris and is one of the few places where four arrondissements intersect (the 8th, 9th, 17th, and 18th).  Abel-Truchet depicts a vantage point just behind the bronze monument to the Márechel de Moncey, a French commander who amassed 15,000 volunteers to bravely defend Clichy against the Russian army until an armistice was declared on March 30, 1814. Numerous Parisian figures populate the scene; in the foreground right, a flower seller offers his bright yellow blossoms to a well-dressed parisienne, while a laborer in the middle-ground carries his ladder and perhaps a bucket. Two well-dressed men stand at the edge of the monument, while a fashionable lady and her tiny dog are seen at the left. Abel-Truchet effectively captures the subtle palette of the rainy day, and his active brushstrokes convey the tenuous energy of the busy square.  His choice of a wide horizontal format and deep recession into space reinforce the bustling activity of the densely populated area, overall providing a compelling snapshot of daily Parisian life.