Edouard Vuillard

Madame Louise Gillou, Paris (commissioned from the artist on February 28, 1932)

Madame René Fenwick (Mrs Gillou's daughter), Paris

Sale: Palais Galliera, Paris, Collection Fenwick, December 3,
1964, lot 30

Knoedler & Co, New York

Judge Paul H. Buchanan, Jr., Indianapolis

Acquired from the above by the family of the present owner in 1984

Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Exposition E. Vuillard, 1938, no. 202

Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Vuillard, 1948, no. 83bis (titled
Reynaldo Hahn en visite chez Madame F...  and as dating from
1924)

Toronto, Art Gallery of Ontario & Chicago, Art Institute, Edouard Vuillard, 1971-72, no. 91, illustrated in the catalogue

New York, Knoedler Gallery, Vuillard, 1972, no. 17

New York, Hammer Galleries, At Leisure: Pastimes of the 19th and 20th centuries, 1979, no. 15

Montreal, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal, Alfred Hitchcock et l'Art, 2000-01

London, Royal Academy of Arts, Vuillard, 2001, no. 324, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Claude Roger-Marx, Vuillard et son temps, Paris, 1946, p. 81

Jacques Salomon, Après de Vuillard, Paris, 1953, pp. 98 & 101

jacques Salomon, Vuillard admiré, Paris, 1961, illustrated p. 174

Claude Roger-Marx, Vuillard, intérieurs, Paris & Lausanne, 1968, p. 56

Jacques Salomon, Vuillard, Paris, 1968, illustrated p. 178

Emilie Daniel, Vuillard, L'espace de l'intimité, Paris, 1984, fig. 109, illustrated p. 317

Michel Makarius, Vuillard, Paris, 1989, illustrated in color pp. 85-86

Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, The Inexhaustible Glance: Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, vol. III, Paris, 2003, no. XII-95, illustrated in color p. 1503

Very good condition over all. Original canvas. There are a few tiny losses to the pigment and some lifting in the lampshade, and noticable paint separation in this richly-painted area. Under UV, there is no evidence of retouching, although the lampshade does flouresce due to the nature of the artist's pigment.
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.

Vuillard's luminous depiction of his patron in her salon exemplifies the commissions to which the artist devoted most of his time in the 1930s.  Mme Louise Gillou, at whose request the artist painted this work in 1932-33, was a formidable woman with a rich collection of 19th century pictures which she acquired from the dealer, Jos Hessel.  In his monograph of Vuillard's work, André Salomon provides the following characterization of the sitter and her environs, which Vuillard has so beautifully captured in his picture:  "She... was feared for her wit and plan speaking.  She was obviously proud of her collection of paintings, sold to her by Hessel.  Corots, Renoirs and Fourains jostled together on the walls, each one 'murdered' by a spotlight" (A. Salomon, op. cit., p. 178).

When it was exhibited in Paris in 1948, the present picture was titled after the male guest of Mme Guillou, who appears standing in the background of this composition.  Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) was a conductor, musical critic and composer, who eventually became the director of the Paris Opera.   Born in Venezuela and naturalized as a French citizen in his twenties, Hahn was one of the leading composers and conductors of his day, and was romantically linked to the great French novelist, Marcel Proust.  At the time of this painting, Hahn was serving as the general manager of the Cannes Casino Opera and was the music critic for the Paris daily, Le Figaro.   He stands at the far right of the composition with his hands clasped and appears to be expounding upon one of his many intellectual pursuits for the pleasure of his hostess.