Lot 2
  • 2

André Derain

Estimate
600,000 - 800,000 USD
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Description

  • André Derain
  • Le Modèle
  • Signed A. Derain (lower left)
  • Oil on board laid down on cradled panel
  • 17 1/8 by 19 1/8 in.
  • 43.5 by 48.5 cm

Provenance

Sir William Burrell, Glasgow

Sam Salz, New York

Acquired from the above on June 16, 1952

Exhibited

New York, The Museum of Modern Art; The Minneapolis Museum of Art; The San Francisco Museum of Art;
The Art Gallery of Toronto, Les Fauves, 1952-53, no. 26

Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, Derain before 1915, 1961-62

Literature

Georges Hillaire, Derain, Geneva, 1959, illustrated pl. 52

Michel Kellerman, André Derain: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. I, Paris, 1992, no. 359, illustrated p. 224

Condition

Good condition. The board and its supporting panel appear to be structurally sound. The paint layer is stable. Under UV, there are lines of retouching to the right of the figure's hat, several lines in the center-right and a thin line in blue rectangle at the far left.
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

Le Modèle is one of Derain’s important early Fauve compositions, executed around 1904, shortly before the Fauve ‘revolution’ at the famous Salon d’Automne of 1905. In 1904 Derain painted several views of the interior of his studio, characterized by a palette dominated by blue and orange tones, and often featuring a strikingly painted white element such as a table cloth or, as in the present work, a bed. In June 1900, Derain met Vlaminck on a train between Paris and Chatou, and the two soon established a close friendship and began to paint together, influencing each other’s ideas and styles. It was during a Van Gogh exhibition held in Paris in March 1901 that Derain introduced Vlaminck to Matisse, and thereby assembled what soon became the core group of Fauve artists.

Writing about Matisse’s influence on Derain’s painting, Jane Lee noted: "When Derain met him, the focus of Matisse’s work was on a series of still-life paintings with sharp  diagonal compositions, abruptly limited viewpoints, and heightened color which expressed the fall of light" (Jane Lee, Derain, Oxford & New York, 1990, p. 12). The impact of these compositions is clearly visible in the present work: the model’s lower body, the chair, the easel and the pillow are rendered in strongly accentuated diagonal lines; the figure is shown from a close-up view, occupying the entire height of the composition, with the peripheral components, such as the painter’s easel, sharply cut out of the picture frame. The warm, vivid coloration of the model and the objects occupying the interior of the artist’s studio anticipates the Fauve revolution that was soon to change the course of 20th century art.