Auguste Herbin

Private Collection, France (and sold: Tajan, Paris, June 8, 2006, lot 417)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 8, 2006, lot 384)
Asher Edelman Arts Inc., New York
Acquired from the above

This work is in very good condition. The canvas is unlined with black tape around the edges securing the canvas to the stretcher. There is a 6 inch diagonal surface scratch towards the center of the upper right edge. Under the UV light, there are no signs of inpainting. The colors are more vibrant in the original than as reproduced.
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.

Originally under the influence of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Herbin gradually gave way to an involvement with Cubism starting in 1909 with a shift to the "bateau-lavoir studios," where he met contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Juan Gris. These artists enhanced his determination for newer ways of picturing matter, as contemporary artistic intentions and directions were changing. Similarly, as a continuation of Cézanne's call to treat nature as "the cylinder, the cone and the sphere," Herbin has broken the figure down into a series of cylindrical shapes. 

Composition (Grande vitesse), painted in 1927, is an exceptional example of Herbin's post-Cubism imagery, depicting abstracted figures and evoking a fluid sense of energy and velocity. Unlike Braque and Picasso's early Cubist work, Herbin continuously used a full palette of color with deep reds, greens and blues. Herbin's late twenties are also noticeable by the appearance of black lines swaying round the geometrical forms being larger and placed into a more complex composition. The artist gradually immersed himself into pure geometric abstraction, and Composition (Grande vitesse) marks one of the last series of major oils to retain literal references.