Maurice Utrillo

Galerie Marumo, Paris
Private Collection, Switzerland

Paris, Pinacothèque de Paris, Valadon Utrillo, au tournant du siècle à Montmartre—de l'Impressionisme à l'Ecole de Paris, 2009, no. 67, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Tokyo, Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Museum of Art; Niigata, Niigata Prefectural Museum of Art; Kyoto, Museum Eki Kyoto & Aichi, Toyohashi City Museum of Art & History, Maurice Utrillo, La Collection d'un amateur d'art, 2010, no. 7

Jean Fabris & Cédric Paillier, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre complet de Maurice Utrillo, la période blanche, vol. I, Paris, 2009, no. 51, illustrated in color p. 105

The board is sound, though there is a small crease in the surface at extreme lower right corner. A textured impasto is well preserved the paint layer is slightly dirty. Under UV light a small stroke of inpainting is visible just above the bottom edge about six inches in from the lower left corner, otherwise fine. 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.
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.

In Lapin Agile, Montmartre Utrillo returns to one of his favorite subjects, capturing the distinctive roofs and green shutters of the cabaret with his characteristic economy of form and color. Painted toward the end of the artist’s periode blanche, the present work exemplifies the style that Utrillo developed during these years, contrasting the pale white tones of the buildings and streets against rich browns and greys in a flattened and geometric style. As Adolphe Tabarant describes, “At this time Utrillo uses a palette of many whites, but these never become chalky or dull. He surrounds them with soft greys, delicate pinks, deep blues, or else contrasts them with sonorous browns and blacks” (Adolphe Tabarant, Utrillo, Paris, 1926, p. 168).

Like many of the cabarets that proliferated in Montmartre at the turn of century, the Lapin Agile was a melting pot for courtesans, musicians, dancers and artists. A favorite of Utrillo, the Lapin Agile was frequented by a circle of artists and writers that included Max Jacob, Guillaume Apollinaire and even Pablo Picasso, the latter of whom painted a view of the interior in 1905. Its exterior was a subject that Utrillo returned to on a number of occasions, painting it in all weathers and from numerous points of view. The present work is among the most successful of these depictions, combining a refined palette with the quiet sensitivity that makes Utrillo’s periode blanche works so widely admired.