Albert Marquet

Sale: Laurin, Guilloux, Buffetaud, Paris, 25th June 2001, lot 78
Galerie du Carlton, Cannes
Acquired from the above by the present owner in July 2004

The canvas is not lined, and there do not appear to be any signs of retouching under UV light. This work appears to be in overall 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. 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."

Les quais du Louvre, 1906 is an atmospheric and evocative depiction of Albert Marquet’s beloved Paris, a city he had moved to at the age of fifteen from his native Bordeaux. Francis Daulte comments on Marquet’s extraordinary ability to distil the sights and sensations of Paris: 'Here are Paris and its bridges freeing themselves from the light of the river; here is the Paris of trees sheltering the book-sellers; here are the popular quarters with their fences covered with multi-coloured posters and their decaying houses... [Marquet] drapes them in the sun of springtime or bathes them in the sad atmosphere of a winter's day, when the snow dribbles down the quays and a fog, light and damp, hangs over the entire city' (Francis Daulte, Albert Marquet, Lausanne, 1988, p. 24).

During the time in which the present work was painted, Marquet was living in rooms on the Quai du Louvre, and found constant inspiration in the view from his window. Within Les quais du Louvre, 1906, the verdant green of the summer trees contrasts with the soft grey of the sky, tinged with delicate washes of blue amongst the clouds. Although Marquet worked closely with exponents of the Fauve style, including Henri Matisse and André Derain, during this period, his own paintings rejected the bold colours employed by these artists in favour of a more luminous and subtle palette, one which is exemplified to stunning effect within Les quais du Louvre, 1906.