Kees van Dongen

Monsieur & Madame Abel Desjardins, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
Huguette Béres, Paris
Galerie Daniel Malingue, Paris
Private Collection, United States
Acquired by the present owner in 2000

Paris, Galerie d'Antin, Van Dongen, 1917, no. 47
Buenos Aires, Exposiçao de Pintura Francesa (& travelling in Brazil) 1939-40, no. 127
Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Van Dongen, 1942, no. 44
Martigny, Pierre Gianadda Foundation, Kees van Dongen, du Nord et du Sud, no. 69, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Montreal, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Barcelona, Museu Picasso de Barcelona (& travelling) Kees van Dongen, 2008-09, no. 188, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

René Huyghe, Les Contemporains, Paris, 1939, no. 37, illustrated in colour 

The canvas is lined. There is an uneven layer of varnish preventing the UV light from fully penetrating, however UV examination does reveal some scattered lines of retouching to the upper right quadrant, predominantly associated with fine lines of stable craquelure, the longest of which is 10cm. There are spots of retouching to the corners of her mouth, the longest of which is 1.5cm, and a further spot above her proper left wrist. There are some scattered lines and spots of retouching in places, many of which relate to infills from craquelure. There is some frame rubbing to the extreme edges, otherwise this work is in fairly 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Despite arriving in Paris a relative unknown with only a basic artistic training, van Dongen quickly became of Paris’s most sought after portrait painters. While his chief subject matter had always been women, within ten years his models, who had initially been the prostitutes and dancers of Montmartre – his studio at 6 rue Saulnier in the IXth arrondissementwas located just around the corner from the renowned Folies-Bergère – were replaced by the ladies of Parisian fashionable society. Over the summer of 1913, van Dongen spent several weeks with the Desjardins family who introduced him to Deauville (see lot 175), where the great and the good of Paris relocated for the midsummer months. This friendship, which blossomed over frequent visits by the van Dongens to the Desjardins’ country house at Cricqueboeuf, was immortalised in his portrait of Madame Desjardins, painted over 1913 and 1914.

Van Dongen was a master of depicting his elegant sitters at their glamorous best, and to have a portrait painted by his hand was a coveted status symbol for the most fashionable women of the era.  Here, Madame Desjardins is depicted bedecked in Parisian finery, her sapphire blue dress set off by the glowing ruby at her finger and allowing the bright auburn of her hair to stand out all the more strikingly. Van Dongen bestows upon her all the enigmatic allure of his most accomplished portraits, her large hazel eyes surveying the viewer from behind her lashes and one stray curl falling across her forehead. Inspite of the very similar palette between her dress and the wall behind, Van Dongen’s masterful brushwork creates the impression of a rich taffeta skirt and a heavy silk. Against her porcelain skin, a long string of pearls embellishes her neckline, while the bold flower at her breast accentuates the finery of her dress.

Originally in the collection of the Desjardins family, the present work has been exhibited in numerous locations worldwide, an example of the artist’s distinctive style of portraiture from this period.  In a departure from the brash, bold colours of his earlier works, van Dongen maintains his ability to evoke the strength and independent spirit of his female models.