Pierre Bonnard

Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection, France
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 8, 2001, lot 167
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Bonnard, 1921, no. 12

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1920-1939, vol. III, Paris, 1973, no. 1048, illustrated p. 71

Canvas is not lined. There is a faint stretcher bar mark visible frunning vertically down the center of the canvas. Under UV light: no inpainting is apparent. Work is in very good 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.
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 1920s Bonnard spent most of his time in the country. He divided his time between the South of France and the Normandy coast, usually spending the winters on the Mediterranean coast and going North for the summer months. At that point Nature could be felt in his art full-force, as Michel Terrasse described Bonnard's approach: "Under the blazing sun, with the mistral blowing, his palette caught fire without losing any of its subtlety. A born colorist, he was sensitive not only to bursts of color but equally to the quality of the air, to the vibration, the texture, the perfume of things (Michel Terrasse, Bonnard at Le Cannet, London, 1988, p. 11). In Le Ravin, painted in 1921,  it is precisely this quality of air that Bonnard captures. This depiction is a prime example of Bonnard's lifelong dedication to Nature. 

Fig. 1 Pierre Bonnard in 1945 (Photographed by Aimé Maeght)