Edouard Vuillard

Jean Laroche, Paris (commissioned from the artist circa May 1917; returned to the artist on October 31, 1917 to be reworked and returned February 1918)

Dr. Henri Vaquez, Paris, March 1918

Sale: Galerie Charpentier, Paris, June 14, 1957, lot 100

Hector Brame, Paris

Charles S. Payson, Long Island (by 1960)

Joan Whitney Payson, New York

Thence by descent

Paris, Galerie Charpentier, 1927

New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Art Gallery, Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture Collected by Yale Alumni, 1960, no. 65, illustrated in the catalogue (titled House and Garden)

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paintings from Private Collections, 1960, no. 133

Jacques Salomon, Vuillard admiré, Paris, 1961, illustrated in color pp. 109-111

Belinda Thomson, Vuillard, London, 1988, discussed p. 130

Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, Vuillard: The Inexhaustible Glance: Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, vol. 3, Milan, 2003, no. X-125.1, illustrated in color p. 1235

Excellent condition. Original canvas. Under ultra-violet light, there is no evidence of retouching.
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 May 1917, French banker Jean Laroche commissioned Edouard Vuillard to produce a series of three decorative panels (fig. 1), of which Le Square was the centerpiece.  The artist labored over this project for nearly a year, reworking the panels twice for his demanding patron. Inspired by fashionable eighteenth-century décor, Laroche initially requested "door panels [trumeaux] to decorate in the form of violons [double basses]" (fig. 2); however, not long after he received the panels, he decided to send them back for significant modifications (Vuillard, journal entry of May 12, 1917, cited in Salomon & Cogeval, op. cit., p. 1237).  Between October 1917 and February 1918, Vuillard touched up the panels and converted them into their present rectangular formats.  He became quite invested in this project, writing in his journal on November 10, 1917, "go back over the Laroche panels...enormous interest of this work. [I]magination reeling, high spirits," and then on February 1, 1918, a shift in his outlook, "Sign the Laroche panels, finishing touches, disgusted" (ibid.).  Vuillard was despondent when Laroche still did not approve of the revised panels and contacted dealer Jos Hessel to sell them.  Fortunately, one of Vuillard's most loyal patrons, Dr. Henri Vaquez, purchased the set in March 1918, augmenting a formidable collection which included another set of Vuillard's decorative panels from 1896. 

In its original formation, Le Square was flanked by park scenes – one of a kiosk in the Place Vintimille and another in the Jardin du Luxembourg.  At some point after Vaquez owned the ensemble, the present work was separated from the other two panels.  It has continued to pass through important collections, from those of Vuillard's friends, Vaquez and Laroche, to that of Joan Whitney Payson, one of the great art patrons of the twentieth century.  Works from her collection of largely French and American art now belong to the Metropolitan Museum and the Portland Museum, and she was a trustee of the Museum of Modern Art during her lifetime.

The Place Vintimille, previously known as the Place Berlioz, was a site of constant inspiration for Vuillard.  In 1908, he and his mother settled at 26, rue de Calais, the building featured in Le Square.  They first inhabited a fourth floor apartment and then moved to the second floor in October 1913.  They lived in the building until 1927, when they relocated to another location on the same square.  Vuillard enjoyed observing the bustling life of the Batignolles district.  During the nearly twenty years he lived in this building, he painted over fifty scenes from the vantage point of his window, including the iconic Place Vintimille screen at the National Gallery of Art (fig. 3). 

The intimacy of Le Square is enhanced by Vuillard's personal connection to the subject.  Instead of looking outward into the square, in this picture he looks back in toward his home.  He positions his second floor window at the center of the composition with open shutters and diaphanous drapes offering a veiled glimpse into the dining room where his mother passed most of her days.  Vuillard's affection permeates this picture as he invites viewers to peek through the trees into a favorite corner of his world.