Eugène Fromentin

Noël Bardac (in 1910)

Galerie Georges Petit, Vingt Peintres du XIXe siècle, Exposition au profit de la Croix Rouge Française, May 1910 (lent by Noël Bardac)

This painting is on a stable panel, with heavy varnish. Under UV, varnish fluoresces green and old restorations are apparent in the hind legs of the center horse, and in dots in the clothes of the rider on the far right.
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 present work's very close resemblance to Fromentin's La Chasse aux gazelles of 1864 (see: James Thompson and Barbara Wright, Eugène Fromentin, 1820-1876: visions d'Algérie et d'Egypte, Paris, 2008, p. 234, illustrated) suggests it can be dated to the same period.  In addition to its style and technique, this date is further supported by Jérôme Ottoz's stencil on the panel's verso. Ottoz was Fromentin's framer and paint merchant from 1863 until the artist's death in 1876 (see lot 85 for more information on Ottoz).  Though it remains to be determined when Noël Bardac acquired the present work, the wealthy Parsian banker is remembered as a celebrated patron of the arts. In 1893 Bardac purchased the newly constructed Château du Haut-Buc (near Versailles, and now a school), ceding it in 1918 to the Italian astronomer, Gentilli de Giuseppe.