Henri Lebasque

European Collection (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 13, 1996, lot 213)
Sam Porter Fine Arts, Great Neck, New York
Murray & Irene Pergament (acquired from the above and sold from the estate: Sotheby's, New York, May 9, 2007, lot 128)
Acquired at the above sale

Paul Vitry, Art et Décoration, 1994, illustrated p. 87
Denise Bazetoux, Henri Lebasque, Catalogue raisonné, vol. I, Paris, 2008, no. 671, illustrated p. 193

The canvas is not lined and has a very thick burlap-like weave. The surface is very lively and well preserved. Under UV light: no inpainting is apparent. Overall the work is in excellent condition.
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.

Painted circa 1910, Marthe et nono cousant dans un intérieur depicts the artist's daughters, Marthe and Nono. Sensitively rendered in a vibrant palette of brilliant blues, pinks and greens, the present work highlights both the artist's fascination with the portrayal of women and his ability to render the beauty and peacefulness of their quotidian surroundings. As Lisa Banner observes, "Intimism, a term which best describes Lebasque's painting, refers to the close domestic subject matter, supremely realized by Bonnard and Vuillard, in such a manner as to convey the personal nature of his response to the thing painted, and the universal familiarity of home and family" (Lisa A. Banner, Lebasque, 1865-1937, San Francisco, 1985, p. 12). She continues, "Lebasque's vision of life led him to concentrate upon intimate domestic scenes and close, interior compositions. He was hailed as the painter of 'Joy and Light' by art critics and curators of the Louvre in his later life. But Lebasque's primary concerns were with simple expression of sensuous surface... He achieved an intimate manner of painting those scenes and people most dear to him, which was replete with his personal delight in form and color, heightened by his contact with fellow painters Matisse and Bonnard, but characteristically his own" (ibid., p. 20).