Édouard Vuillard

Joseph Hessel, Paris (acquired from the artist circa 1930)
Alphonse Bellier, Paris
Paul Rosenberg & Co., New York (acquired circa 1969)
Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Harris, Chicago (acquired from the above on April 29, 1972)
Private Collection, United States (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, New York, November 1, 2005, lot 15)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale and sold: Christie's, New York, May 6, 2008, lot 57)
Acquired at the above sale

Zurich, Kunsthaus, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, 1932, no. 141 (titled Vase de fleurs and dated 1900-05)
Paris, Musée des arts décoratifs, É. Vuillard, 1938, no. 66
London, The Lefevre Gallery (Alex. Reid & Lefevre, Ltd.), XIX & XX Century French Paintings, 1968, no. 19, illustrated in the catalogue

Tristan Bernard, "Jos Hessel," in La Renaissance, 1930, illustrated p. 27
Claude Roger-Marx, Vuillard et son temps, Paris, 1946, p. 78
Antoine Salomon & Guy Cogeval, Vuillard, The Inexhaustible Glance, Critical Catalogue of Paintings and Pastels, vol. II, Paris, 2003, no. IX-143, illustrated p. 1091 

This work is in excellent condition. The board is sound. The surface is clean and the pigments are fresh and vibrant. The edges are irregular and show signs of minor old abrasion, including some creasing along the lower edge, not visible when framed. Under UV: there is a thin varnish but no in-painting is apparent.
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.

This dazzling still life highlights Vuillard’s remarkable ability to transform even the simplest arrangement of quotidian objects into a glowing composition. As a founding member of the Nabis, Vuillard shared the group’s interest in decorative motifs, exemplified in the present work by the colorful, textured background. Géraniums et boules-de-neige is a tranquil picture with unexpected bursts of color, and typifies the artist’s striking synthesis of the intimisme of his earlier pictures with a newfound vitality of color that was to define his most celebrated turn-of-the-century output.

Following the disbandment of the Nabis group in 1899, Vuillard was represented by the prestigious Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris, and this association allowed him to move in vastly different social circles; commissioned to paint the portraits of the Bernheim brothers’ wealthy clientele, the artist gained access to some of the most opulently furnished homes in the city. The son of a dressmaker, Vuillard had always possessed a fascination for textiles and his initiation into the fabrics, wallpaper and carpets of the haute bourgeoisie at this time reignited his sensibility for rich color and pattern. Indeed the present work typifies Vuillard’s highly attuned mastery for combining color and texture.