Kees van Dongen

Margaret Thompson Biddle, Paris (and sold by the estate: Galerie Charpentier, Paris, June 14, 1957, lot 12)
Private Collection, Europe (acquired at the above sale)
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, London, February 4, 2009, lot 113)
Richard Green Fine Paintings, London (acquired from the above sale)
Acquired from the above in 2011

(Possibly) Paris, Rue Juliette-Lamber
Chaleroi, Palais des Beaux Arts, Van Dongen, 1964

Canvas is unlined. Surface presents a rich and textured impasto, particularly in the flower beds at lower left and lower center and the whites of the building at right. Some scattered cracking in the white pigment of the sale boats, the boat at right, and the awning of the buidling. Under UV light a few thin strokes of inpainting are visible in the sales and the building at right to address cracking. In addition some spots and thin strokes of inpainting are visible around the extreme perimeter of the work, primarily at upper and left edges, to address prior frame abrasion, otherwise fine. This work is in 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.
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.

Kees van Dongen came from humble origins, born in 1877 in a small suburb of Rotterdam. Shortly after arriving in Paris in 1900 however, he quickly achieved immense popularity for his Fauve figure paintings and received commisions from many members of Parisian high society. Van Dongen soon developed a reputation for enjoying night life, cabarets, and the leisure activities of the wealthy; he visited Italy, Spain, Morocco and the South of France where he immersed himself in the favorite pastimes of the upper class.

In the 1920s he began to turn away from his Fauve color palette of the early 1900s, partly because he was inspired by the colors that he encountered on his travels to the Mediterranean and also in response the tastes of his new clientele. His later works thus contain a more harmonious color palette as he sought to create more sophisticated and universally appealing pictures. 

Van Dongen's newfound wealth enabled him to buy an elaborate villa in the city of Cannes. This location afforded him greater accessibility to his clients and high society, and in the 1920s and again in the mid-1950s van Dongen rendered picturesque scenes of the Cannes shoreline.

Voiliers à Cannes captures the luminosity and carefree spirit of Cannes.  The resort activities of sailing and strolling on the beach illustrate the city to be one of respite. Van Dongen centers our attention upon the white sailboats which are juxtaposed in the deep blue water. The water is rendered with long, smooth brushstrokes, imparting a feeling of tranquility to the scene.