Jacques-Henri Lartigue

the photographer's credit/reproduction rights stamp and with annotations in ink, pencil, and crayon on the reverse, 1911

Collection of Florette Lartigue, the photographer's widow, 1997

Kevin Moore, Jacques Henri Lartigue: The Invention of an Artist (Princeton University Press, 2004), pl. 26 (variant)

This early print, on single-weight, matte-surface paper, is in good condition. In raking light, age-appropriate silvering is visible in the dark areas. There is a diagonal crease, likely deliberate, that runs the length of the image and intermittently breaks the emulsion. This crease, however, does not detract from the overall impact of this early print. There is a small loss to the lower right corner and an accompanying crease on the reverse. The fold visible in the print offered here may have been deliberately made by Lartigue: it corresponds precisely to the diagonal tilt in the composition, perhaps indicating the preferred cropping of the photograph for publication. The credit and reproduction rights stamps on the reverse read: 'Photo J.-H. LARTIGUE MENTION OBLIGATOIRE DROITS DE REPRODUCTION RESERVE.' There are reduction notations in pencil on the reverse. The annotations in ink, pencil, or crayon, also on the reverse, are as follows: 'le bob sur route: un virage à 50 km a l'heur'; '(photo publiee VGA 1911 or 12)'; '1 Sept 1911'; 'neg de 1911'; '3'; '24' [circled]; and various other illegible notations.
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.

Movement was a constant source of inspiration for the young Jacques-Henri Lartigue: his most memorable photographs capture perfect moments of action and excitement.  In the present image, the photographically-precocious seventeen-year-old Lartigue tilts the frame to accentuate the velocity of ‘le bob’ as it takes a turn and kicks up a dramatic spray of gravel.   

As Lartigue scholar Kevin Moore notes, Lartigue’s love of speed and action was shared by camera enthusiasts of the time.  Albert Reyner’s 1903 Manuel practique du reporter photographe et de l’amateur d’instantanés provided burgeoning photographers with instructions on photographing sport.  The popular French publication La Vie au Grand Air (Life in the Great Outdoors) reflected this turn-of-the-century fascination, and Lartigue himself contributed photographs for reproduction.  Indeed, Lartigue’s first published photograph, an image of an airplane in flight, was featured as the frontispiece for the January 1912 issue.  An instantaneous image of a bobsled—possibly the very print offered here—was reproduced in La Vie au Grand Air in March 1912 (cf. Kevin Moore, Jacques Henri Lartigue: The Invention of an Artist, pp. 71-86).