Pierre Bonnard

Bernheim-Jeune, Paris (acquired from the artist in 1920)

Dr. Soubies, Paris (acquired from the above)

Galerie Agora, Paris

Stephan Hahn Gallery, New York

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford (acquired from the above in 1975 and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 13, 1998, lot 36)

Acquired at the above sale

Paris, Galerie Raphael Gérard, Exposition du XIX et XXème siècle, no. 4

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art; Tokyo, Isetan Museum of Art; Takamatsu, City Museum of Art & Nagoya, Matsuzakaya Art Gallery, Goya to Matisse, 1991-92, no. 49, illustrated in the catalogue

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1920-1939, vol. III, Paris, 1973, no. 1010, illustrated p. 44

Excellent condition. Original canvas. Under ultra-violet light, there are some tiny spots of flourescence along the extreme left edge towards the bottom, and a couple of isolated dots in the lower right quadrant. The paint layer is clean and stable.
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.

The glistening azure-glazed vessel and vibrant floral arrangement exemplify Bonnard's application of the intimisme of his earlier Nabis pictures and the vibrant coloration that define the most successful compositions of his later years.  Still-lifes had occupied a large part of the artist's oeuvre over the course of his career, but as he developed his style, his approach to these compositions is much more experimental.  Pot bleu evidences his more daring approach in compositional arrangement, as he bunches the tablecloth in front of the bouquet so that the underlying fabric is just as dominant as any other feature in the composition.

In the recent exhibition catalogue on Bonnard's still-lifes, Dita Amory describes how Bonnard developed relationships with objects he painted, enabling him to reveal a particular beauty that might otherwise overlooked:  "In all his waking moments, Bonnard was searching for the shock of an image, for its potential to become a painting.  In that sense he was not a voyeur but a silent witness, someone simultaneously inside and outside of any given moment.  His discreet presence in the room where he worked gave him status equal to that of the objects he painted; he was one with the chair, the sugar bowl, the teapot, the saltcellar.  In order to paint and object he needed to be familiar with it, to see it sympathetically, or has having its own personality.  Once, when asked to consider some charming ensemble as a potential still life,  he responded simply, 'I haven't lived with that long enough to paint it'" (D. Amory, "The Presence of Objects: Still Life in Bonnard's Late Paintings," in Pierre Bonnard, The Late Still Lifes and Interiors (exhibition catalogue), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2009, p. 26).