Francis Picabia

Galleries Maurice Sternberg, Chicago
Dr. Alvin Ortner, Louisville, Kentucky (and sold by the estate: Sotheby's, New York, May 8, 2008, lot 370)
Acquired at the above sale

Maria Lluïsa Borràs, Picabia, New York, 1985, no. 905, illustrated p. 419

This work is in overall good condition and the painting has a remarkably rich impasto surface. The canvas is not lined. UV examination reveals some very small spots and fine lines of sensitively applied retouchings in places, most prominently to the lower part of the extreme right edge and to the upper left corner. There are a few tiny paint losses to the upper left corner and some fine lines of craquelure in places.
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.

The present work dates from Picabia’s later years, which were marked by eager exploration and indicative of his boundless range of talent. Soleil couchant, painted circa 1938-40, represents Picabia's renewed interest in landscapes, returning to a theme he had previously experimented with in the early 1900s (see fig. 1). 

Soleil couchant is an exceptional example of Picabia’s talent for combining both Post-Impressionist and Divisionist technique. Although Picabia tends toward Divisionism when depicting the details of the trees and lush foliage, the overall composition suggests a freer hand than the specific requirements that style might dictate. The result is an exceptional example of Picabia's virtuosic freedom of expression. As William Camfield highlights, "Picabia's image has been so dominated by his Dada activities that even some friends have found it difficult to believe that he once was an impressionist. Their surprise notwithstanding, virtually every artist who contributed to 'modern' art during the first decade of the twentieth century passed through an impressionist or neo-impressionist phase early in his career; Picabia is exceptional only in the fact that for him Impressionism was not merely a passing phase but a major period" (William Camfield, Francis Picabia: His Art, Life and Times, New York, 1979, p. 8).