Maurice de Vlaminck

Galerie Felix Vercel, Paris (acquired in 1984) 
Acquired by the present owner in 1999

Paris, Galerie Paul Pétridès, Rétrospective des œuvres de Maurice de Vlaminck, 1975
Lodève, Musée de Lodève, Derain et Vlaminck 1900-1915, 2001, no. 59, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Sao Paulo, Foundation Armando Alvares Penteado Museum, Vlaminck, 2001, no. 8, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Tokyo, Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum of Art (and travelling in Japan), Maurice de Vlaminck: Exhibition organised on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the artist's death, 2008, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Madrid, Museum Caixa Forum & Barcelona, Museum Caixa Forum, Maurice de Vlaminck, Un instinto fauve. Pinturas de 1900 à 1915, 2009, no. 23, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

The canvas is not lined. UV examination reveals a small spot of retouching to the upper right corner. There is a faint vertical stretcher bar mark, only visible in a raking light. There are a few very fine lines of slightly raised craquelure to the lower right quadrant and the canvas is very slightly undulating in places. Overall 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. 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."

Paysage au bord de l'eau occupies a fascinating interlude in the history of modern art during the first two decades of the twentieth century. It represents a masterful consolidation of form, at a moment of uncertain narratives and a hugely varied cast of characters. A key proponent of Fauvism up until 1908, Vlaminck, much like Matisse, Derain and others, sought to progress beyond a style they felt had become untenable. As Matisse was to say later on, ‘One cannot remain in a permanent state of crisis’ (quoted in S. Whitfield, Fauvism, London, 1996, p. 205). Already by 1907 Vlaminck had begun to respond to the work of Cézanne, employing the device of painting a subject from more than one point, whilst retaining his idiosyncratic and instinctive manner of applying paint. An unspoken impasse had been reached, as Vlaminck and his fellow Fauve artists lessened their reliance on colour, so they began to assimilate their styles to those around them.

Jean Selz has written about Vlaminck's style at this moment, remarking upon the way in which ‘the angular planes, striking contrasts of light and shade and introduction of more sombre tones all contribute to the harmony of Vlaminck's canvas, permitting the artist to transpose his predilection for vivid, riotous colours to that of mastering form' (J. Selz, Vlaminck, Lugano, 1965, p. 64). These sensations are readily felt in the present scene; two opposing planes dominate the composition, the green bank coming in from the right, and the river from the left corner – both originating and ending at different points. His concern now is with space and how to master it, and everything is geared towards this end: the stark contrast between light and dark that cuts diagonally through the picture, the skewing of angles, the plainer handling of colour, even the figures – centralised and anchoring.

It was during this period that Vlaminck would go sailing on the Seine with the legendary art dealer Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. The two shared a boat which they took out together on Sundays, and though it cannot be ascertained, we can at least entertain the possibility, as commentators have speculated of similar works, that these two figures are Kahnweiler and Vlaminck themselves. As well as selling works by Vlaminck, Kahnweiler was already at this stage a celebrated champion of Cubist painters, including Léger, Braque and Picasso himself. With this in mind, the friendship between the two speaks not only of a deep mutual respect, but also a very broad awareness and interpretation of art’s progression. We know, for example, that Vlaminck had difficulty accepting Cubism’s rise, citing amongst other qualms what he saw as a narrow intellectualism. At a time when modernism in France was undergoing a delicate transition from Fauvism to Cubism, it is therefore Vlaminck’s calculated disassociation from the latter that makes his work of these years so interesting. Here in this scene, he presents his direction in a masterful way; controlled, learned, novel and true to his own character, stridently individual.