Lot 380
  • 380

Camille Pissarro

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Camille Pissarro
  • Route à Louveciennes
  • Stamped with the initials C.P. (lower right); stamped C. Pissarro. (on the stretcher)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 17 3/8 by 11 7/8 in.
  • 44.1 by 30.1 cm

Provenance

Estate of the artist
M. Flavian, Paris
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York
Adeline & Caroline Wing, New York (acquired from the above in 1962)
Catherine Gaede, Palm Beach
Trosby Galleries, Palm Beach
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1971 and sold: Christie's, New York, November 4, 2005, lot 262)
Acquired at the above sale

Literature

Ludovico Rodo Pissarro & Lionello Venturi, Camille Pissarro, son art-son oeuvre, vol. I, Paris, 1939, p. 93, no. 101, vol. II, illustrated pl. 20
Joachim Pissarro & Claire Durand-Ruel Snollaerts, Pissarro, Catalogue critique des peintures, vol. II, Paris, 2005, no. 167, illustrated p. 146

Condition

This painting on canvas has not been lined; however, the tacking edges have been reinforced. The stretcher is original and inscribed. The painting has been recently cleaned and retouched. The retouches address some frame abrasion in the upper right edge and the upper right corner. In the lower sky between the trees, there are a few tiny dots of retouching addressing what are probably pentiments. In the sky in the far lower left, there are also retouches, again probably to reduce some interference from pentiments. In the landscape, foreground, figures and trees, there are no retouches except for a few small spots in the back of the shepherd. The painting should be hung as is. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

Catalogue Note

Born in St. Thomas, the Dutch West Indies, Pissarro was the son of a merchant who came to the island from Paris in order to carry on with the business of a deceased relative. Pissarro's father wanted him to continue running the family enterprise but Pissarro’s interest lay rather in painting and drawing. Indeed, the Dutch landscape painter Fritz Melbye, who was living in St. Thomas at the time, convinced the young Pissarro to abandon his father’s commercial affairs and devote himself full-time to becoming a painter. Thus at the age of 21, Pissarro traveled to Venezuela with Melbye and worked for two years honing his skills as an artist.

In 1855 Pissarro left the Americas and settled in Paris where he enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts. While a student there he became familiar with the Barbizon painters and was inspired by the works of Millet, Daubigny, Courbet and especially Corot, the artist who would become hid most important teacher. Like many young painters who were working during the mid-century, Pissarro felt that the rigorous academic environment in which he was learning was not conducive to innovative work. Consequently, Pissarro sought Corot's advice which the master dispensed heartily. Corot convinced Pissarro to paint en plein air and abandon the artificial light and confines of a studio.

In 1859 Pissarro had received the official accolade every artist strived to achieve, acceptance by the Paris Salon. By exhibiting there, aspiring artists were able to gain public exposure as well as secure future commissions, ensuring artistic survival.

The influences of Corot’s teachings are evident in the evolution of Pissarro’s oeuvre. Pissarro’s interest in landscape painting was shared by not only his mentor, but also by other painters who captured the outdoors on their canvases (see fig. 1). The gray-toned monochromatic skies for which Corot is known can be seen as a lingering influence in the present work. Painted in 1870, Route à Louveciennes embodies the painterly brushwork that revolutionized the Paris art scene and ushered in what would become known as the Impressionist movement.