Maurice de Vlaminck

Musée de l'Athenée, Geneva
Acquired from the above in 1958 and thence by descent to the present owner


To be included in the forthcoming Maurice de Vlaminck Catalogue raisonné being prepared by Maïthé Vallès-Bled and Godeliève de Vlaminck under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Institute.

The canvas is lined. There are some scattered small spots of retouching visible under UV light, notably: a 2 by 1cm. sq. area and two smalls spots to the centre of the lower edge; a 1cm. vertical line towards the centre of the right edge; a speck towards the centre of the left edge and above the tree line in the upper corner. There are tiny areas of fluorescence visible under UV light to the right of the extreme lower edge, possibly retouching. There is some light horizontal paint shrinkage within the reflection underneath the bridge. This work is in overall good condition. Colours: Fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, although the colours are brighter in the original, especially in the sky and in the left half.
"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."

'what I wanted to paint [...] was the object itself, with its weight, its density, as if I had represented it through the same matter by which it was formed. I would then aspire to render this landscape alive according to its interior and real aspect, the one life had accorded him, and in relation to the emotion it had spurred within me.'

Maurice Vlaminck (quoted in Maïthè Vallès-Bled, Vlaminck. Un instinct fauve. Paris, 2008, p. 20)