Henri Lebasque

Sale: Boisgirard, Paris, June 26, 1969, lot 70
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Sale: Laurin, Paris, June 25, 1982, lot 26
Sale: Sotheby's, London, June 27, 1990, lot 133
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above in 1993

Jean Melas Kyriazi, Le Nu féminin dans l'ecole de Paris, Lausanne, 1975, illustrated p. 103
Denise Bazetoux, Henri Lebasque, Catalogue raisonné, vol. I, Neuilly-sur-Marne, 2008, no. 942, illustrated p. 244

The canvas has been lined. The canvas is very slightly buckled at the bottom left corner. The colors are fresh and vibrant. Under UV light: certain pigments fluoresce. A few minor strokes of inpainting are visible in a few places, including at the extreme bottom left corner where the canvas is buckling and toward the right edge of the subject's abdomen. Overall the work is in very good 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.

Post-Impressionist painter Henri Lebasque is best known for his intimate domestic scenes and interior compositions. The present canvas depicts a voluptuous model dozing peacefully on a bed, imagery that relates to several works from his series of nudes. According to art historian Lisa Banner, “Around 1925, Lebasque began to concentrate upon nudes as subjects for his paintings since his two daughters had married, and his wife was no longer willing to pose for him in the nude. These paintings were composed at Le Cannet, as Lebasque and his wife allowed a young model to wander and pose at random in the hosue. The model Kiki, the big blonde Marinette, became for several years the focus of Lebasque’s oeuvre, as he experimented with form and color” (Lisa A. Banner, Lebasque 1865 – 1937, San Francisco, 1986, p. 70).