- 429
Maurice Utrillo
Estimate
70,000 - 100,000 GBP
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Description
- Maurice Utrillo
- Nôtre-Dame de Paris
- signed Maurice, Utrillo, V, (lower left)
- oil on canvas
- 60 by 73.4cm., 23 1/2 by 28 7/8 in.
Provenance
David W. T. Cargill, Stanmore, Lanarkshire (acquired before 1947)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Thence by descent to the present owner
Exhibited
Glasgow, Glasgow Art Gallery, 1947
Literature
Paul Pétridès, L'Œuvre complet de Maurice Utrillo, Paris, 1959, vol. I, no. 89, illustrated p. 137
Condition
The canvas is not lined and there are no signs of retouching visible under ultra-violet light. Other than some minor undulating of the canvas at the upper corners, this work is in very good overall 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Maurice Utrillo's first paintings of churches and cathedrals date to 1908, and he returned frequently to this subject throughout his career. In the present work, Utrillo demonstrates a formidable sense of structural and architectural form. This composition is particularly audacious in that it does not rely for its effect on the symmetry of the façade, but on the monumental cathedral viewed from an unusual angle. Utrillo establishes the vast scale of the monument by contrasting it with a group of people and a horse-drawn carriage on the bridge, thereby adding a human presence to the painting.
It is his extraordinary sense of colour and the skill with which he manipulates the paint on the surface of the canvas which brings this magnificent building to life. The impasto is especially rich, with brushstrokes varying between sharp green, strong and light blue greys and touches of yellow, a virtual physical representation of the rough structure of the stone.
It is his extraordinary sense of colour and the skill with which he manipulates the paint on the surface of the canvas which brings this magnificent building to life. The impasto is especially rich, with brushstrokes varying between sharp green, strong and light blue greys and touches of yellow, a virtual physical representation of the rough structure of the stone.