Jean Dunand

Private Collection, circa 1938
Thence by descent to the present owner

Art et Industrie, July 1935, p. 11
Edmond Labbé, Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques Dans la Vie Modern:  Rapport General, Paris, 1937, p. 102
DeLorenzo Gallery, Jean Dunand, exh. cat., New York, 1985, p. 35
Felix Marcilhac, Jean Dunand:  His Life and Works, London, 1991, p. 144 (for a discussion of the Smoking Room panels) and pp. 156-157 and 317 (for an identical example of the present lot)

Overall in very good condition. All of the lacquer and gilding on the panel is original. The lacquer is in excellent condition, displaying extraordinary vibrant color. The gilt surfaces are also incredibly vibrant and dynamic, displaying a strong lustrous quality. The panel with some occasional light surface scratches and gentle rubbing to the highpoints of the carved design consistent with age and gentle use. There is an old hairline crack to the upper right corner, and an old hairline crack to the bottom right corner (both hairlines stable and not obtrusive to the pictorial field). The bottom right hairline appears to have been sensitively touched up many years ago in a few small select areas of the black lacquer, and with a few very small and minor associated losses. The bottom perimeter border and gilt border on the right side of the panel with a few very small and minor surface and edge losses. There is a tiny surface loss to the right hand of the lower figure carrying the basket of grapes overhead. An outstanding example, displaying extraordinary crispness and meticulous detail to the carving throughout, and especially vibrant coloration to the lacquerwork. When viewed in person, the green lacquer is slightly less saturated and more delicate than seen in the catalogue illustration, which is slightly over-saturated and too red.
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.

Luminescent gold lacquered surfaces present the viewer with a scene of the harvest in this panel by Jean Dunand. Executed in an Egyptian-influenced style, a group of stylized male figures dance and draw a large basket of grapes with two bulls through sun-dappled grasses on a flattened picture plane.

Dunand designed a series of decorative lacquered panels for the First Class Smoking Room in the SS Normandie oceanliner in the mid-1930s, which included the harvest scene among other subjects themed “Man’s Games and Pleasures.”  The series also included panels depicting scenes of riding, sport, and most famously, the hunt in two monumental lacquered screens separating the Smoking Room from the Dining Room.  The “Vendanges” panel, like the other smaller panels for the Smoking Room, was constructed with a gold lacquer technique and demonstrates an extraordinarily precise delineation of the narrative scene executed in low relief.