Simon-Joseph-Alexandre-Clément Denis

New York, Christie's, 29 January 1998, lot 26;
There purchased by the present collector.

The painting is slightly brighter than it appears in the catalogue illustration. For a high resolution digital image, please refer to the online catalogue at Sothebys.com or contact a member of the Old Master Paintings department. The following 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. This work has recently been restored. It has been properly mounted, but not lined. The original inscription on the reverse of the paper is clearly visible through the mat. The painting is in very fresh and immediate condition. Retouches have been applied which address a few isolated marks to the paint layer, which probably occurred while the work was travelling and in possession of the artist. This is essentially a sketch in paint, and although it had never been previously restored or abraded, it had received a few isolated paint losses.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Born in Antwerp, Simon Denis moved to Rome where, under the patronage of the painter and art dealer, Jean-Baptiste Lebrun, he achieved great commendation for his studies of the landscape surrounding the city.  The artist painted outdoors in all seasons, carefully studying and documenting the effects of light in various weather conditions, as mentioned in the charming inscription on the reverse: “Le tems qui s’eclairci, peu a peu, après l’orage” (“The weather clears, little by little, after the storm”) Denis swiftly paints the heavy, dark storm clouds, weighing down over the steeple of the church and casting deep shadows on the hills and fields of the foreground, while beyond a stretch of blue breaks through the white, nebulous sky.  Once more, the artist chooses an unusual and little known viewpoint in the area, interrupted only by the single church tower lower right.  The focus is given to the contemplation of nature and to the atmospheric light, reflecting the change in weather.

For more on this artist's techniques of painting en plein air, see J. Strick, In the Light of Italy: Corot and Early Open-Air Painting, Washington 1996, pp. 145-9.