Kees van Dongen

Galerie Romanet, Paris
Private Collection, Tokyo
Sale: Boisgirard & Associés, Paris, 16th June 2004, lot 43
Gallery Nico Delaive, Amsterdam
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 2005


To be included in the forthcoming Van Dongen Catalogue raisonné being prepared by Jacques Chalom Des Cordes under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Institute.

The canvas is strip-lined. There is a small nailhead-sized spot of retouching to the left edge of the sitter'seye, probably due to an old repair. There is a thin 9cm. horizontal intermittent line of retouching to the left of the upper edge, two tiny specks in the hair to the left of the sitter's face and a further small speck of retouching to the left corner and to the centre of the left edge. All retouching is visible under UV light. This work is in good condition. Colours: Overall the colours are much warmer and lighter in the original than in the printed catalogue.
"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."

Van Dongen was declared alongside Picasso, Matisse and Derain 'to be among the greatest artists living in France' (quoted in Anita Hopmans, All Eyes on Kees Van Dongen (exhibition catalogue), Rotterdam, 2010, p. 143) in 1920 . According to one newspaper headline of the time he was the 'The Idol of Paris' (ibid., p. 7). His artistic debut at the Galerie Vollard in Paris in 1904, the preserve of artists like Gauguin and Picasso, propelled Van Dongen to enter the modern art scene with unparalleled popularity. As a Fauve he further exhibited in Moscow, Berlin and Dresden and there is little doubt of his artistic status, which brought the cosmopolitan Van Dongen immediate acclaim.

This elegant portrayal is a majestic rendition of one of Van Dongen's most favourite and iconic themes: women. He strove to glorify them with 'big eyes - I don't know why- long eyelashes, satin-smooth or matt skin...pearls and brilliants' (ibid., p. 7). Bathed in a radiating blue light, the visage of the sitter is framed by a voluminous blonde bob. The tilted head of the sitter brings her half-open sensual red lips close to the viewer creating a contrast with her electric blue make-up and eyes, whose shapes are outlined in the manner of Iberian or Egyptian sculptures which Van Dongen would have seen in the Louvre.

Incidentally, in 1908 Van Dongen lived close to the entrance of the famous Folies-Bergère, enabling him to use their rare electrical wiring to light his studio. As the artist and model of Picasso Fernande Olivier describes, these wires emitted a '"blinding" light...made his colours shine: "it was the age of ultramarine against vermilion grounds, where harsh shades encircled his figure like haloes"' (ibid., p. 85). The dramatic colouration of the present depiction was clearly influenced by the phosphorescent hues emitted by the dawn of electrical lighting, enveloping the sitter in an all-embracing aura. Van Dongen's fresh handling of the paint and the surrounding glowing blue background, an evocative colour highly reminiscent of religious icons and portrayals, render the Portrait d'une blonde an arresting and potent depiction of the sacred modern heroine.