Albert Dubois-Pillet

Mme Audiard, Le Puy
Sale: Galliéra, Paris, 10th December 1966
Stephen Higgons, Paris
Private Collection, United Kingdom (acquired from the above in 1967; sale: Sotheby's, London, 1st July 1998, lot 124)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Lily Bazalgette, Albert Dubois-Pillet, sa vie et son oeuvre (1846-1890), Paris, 1976, mentioned p. 149
John Rewald, Post-Impressionism from Van Gogh to Gauguin, London, 1978, illustrated p. 124 

The canvas is not lined. There are some intermittent small brushpoints of retouching at intervals in the facades of the buildings at the middle ground of the composition, some further spots in the lower two and upper left corners and to the upper edge in the sky. There is a small line of retouching to the lower edge of the pedestal. All retouching is visible under UV light. This work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration although slightly less red in the original.
"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."

Greatly influenced by the genius of Georges Seurat, Dubois-Pillet adopted the style Divisionism, which he adapted to suit his own means of paint application. By placing complimentary colours against one another it becomes possible to create a highly textured tone and pigment.

The present work, displaying the town square of Puy-en-Velay in the Midi, was painted circa 1889-90, just five years after the masterpiece of Neo-Impressionism - Seurat's Un dimanche après-midi sur l'Île de la Grand Jatte. Dubois-Pillet achieves a masterful touch in this work - with its bold composition and hazy, mediterranean glow emanating from the pinks and reds of the surface. The true expression of emotion, Seurat wrote, was the harmony of colours bound together to a greater whole - which seems to have been achieved in Le Puy: La Place ensoleilée.