Leopold Survage

Acquired by the father of the present owner in the 1960s

To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by Eric Brosset

The board is a little worn at the edges, with some flecks of paint loss. There are some small surface scratches. There is paint shrinkage to the areas of white, and some ingrained dirt. Held in a black painted wooden frame and under glass. Unexamined out of frame.
"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."

In this evocative work, Leopold Survage investigates the play of shadows, sun-drenched façades and azure sky of a white-housed town in the South of France, a town which resembles a pack of playing cards, built on the illogical laws of Escher's universe. This painting belongs to Survage's Rose Period, when the artist created his surreal cityscapes, inspired by the French town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. The overall impression is of a collage, assembled according to an appliqué technique reminiscent of Braque and Picasso's experiments in cubism. It gives a distinct lack of three-dimensionality to the painting, despite its 'shadows' and angles suggestive of solid buildings.

Survage explained that the contrasts of light and dark in his cities 'come from a fictional model, which is to say, that they are not the result of a form revealed by a realistic lighting system' (cited in H.Seyrès, Survage: Écrits sur la Peinture L'Archipel, 1992, p.41). 

The composition is evocative of Giorgio de Chirico's melancholic, empty streets under the midday sun, with their mysterious and suspense-laden atmosphere.