Auguste Herbin

Galerie Alex Vömel, Düsseldorf
Sale: Malmö, Kvalitetsauktioner AB, 13^th-17^th October 1982, lot 227
Private Collection, Sweden (purchased at the above sale & thence by
descent; sale: Sotheby's, London, 21^st June 2005, lot 350)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas is not lined. UV examination reveals two nail-head sized spots of retouching to the sky in the upper right quadrant. There is some minor paint shrinkage in places, mainly to the pink pigments within the sky. Otherwise this work is overall very good condition and has a lovely rich impasto.
"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."

Painted under the brilliant Corsican light in 1907, Paysage en Corse is a souvenir of Herbin's sojourn following an invitation received from his friend Wilhelm Uhde, the German art collector, dealer, author, and critic. Herbin's visit to Corsica not only led him to experiment with light and composition to a fuller degree, producing a series of fifteen paintings in line with Fauvism and recalling Dufy's most iconic works, but also introduced him to Erich Mühsam, the talented German-Jewish anarchist essayist, poet and playwright. Such a rich artistic and intellectual milieu, intertwined with the serene peacefulness of the Corsican coast, provided the ideal setting for Herbin to push the boundaries of form and figurative representation, leading him to experiment with the limits of geometry and bands of colour. 

Herbin exhibited at the Salon des Indépendants alongside Derain, Vlaminck and Braque in March and October 1907 and he exhibited additional Fauve works at the fifth Salon d'Automne at the Grand Palais. With its bright palette and energetic brushwork, Paysage en Corse is a wonderful example of Fauvism and clearly inspired by the bright and lively scenes which Derain, Matisse and Braque had been painting in Collioure, Saint Tropez, and L'Estaque.

Paysage en Corse is characterised by Herbin's unique language of horizontal colour, a rainbow of scintillating light leading the viewer to cross from bright yellow paths to a multitude of vibrant tones and serene blues and pinks in the upper part of the canvas. Highlighting the importance of the link between colour and sensation, this landscape is a compelling insight into the artist's ability to translate light into form, anticipating the bright and abstract paintings he would later produce towards the end of the 1920s.