Francisco Manuel Oller (1833-1917)

Collection of Dr. Manuel Zeno Gandía (acquired from the artist)
Hence by desdent to the present owner

Marimar Benítez, Francisco Oller, Un realista del Impresionismo, Ponce, 1983, no. 66, p. 209, illustrated

The work is evenly varnished with some faint craquelure. There is a small chip in the right center. Under UV light inspection, it appears to have some scattered retouches in the sky area, on the left side of the upper margin, the palm tree on the left, as well as some scattered ones on the center right. Overall the 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.

Paisaje nocturno is perhaps the only noctural landscape painted by Puerto Rico's iconic nineteenth century painter Francisco Oller. Despite its limited palette its attention to the subtle atmospheric effects and topographic details of the scene reveal Oller's deft use of color and his innate ability to render nature and the ethereality of Caribbean light. Equally significant is the history of this unique painting which was originally in the collection of Oller's friend, the naturalist writer and author of La charca (1894) Manuel Zeno Gandía. La charca eloquently recounts the harsh realities of plantation life among the struggling classes in the late 19^th century, a subject akin to that explored by Oller in his masterpiece El velorio (c. 1863). And thus, it is not unusual that Oller and Zeno Gandía felt a mutual respect for each other's work as both lived through a period of extraordinary transformation on the island and sought to convey the poignancy of that historical moment in their respective work.