Lot 146
  • 146

Raoul Dufy

Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 GBP
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Description

  • Raoul Dufy
  • L'Hindoue à l'éventail
  • signed Raoul Dufy (towards lower left)
  • oil on canvas
  • 38.2 by 46cm., 15 by 18 1/8 in.

Provenance

Gaston de Havenon, New York (sale: Christie’s, New York, 11th May 1994, lot 215)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owners

Literature

Jean René, Raoul Dufy, Paris, 1931, p. 21
Maurice Laffaille, Raoul Dufy, Catalogue raisonné de l’œuvre peint, Geneva, 1976, vol. III, no. 1178, illustrated p. 210
Dora Perez-Tibi, Dufy, London, 1989, no. 309, illustrated p. 243

Condition

The canvas is not lined. Examination under UV light reveals a spot of fluorescence to the centre of the upper left quadrant, possibly due to old restoration. There are small areas of paint shrinkage in places and fine lines of entirely stable craquelure to the flesh tones as well as to the white pigment. There are some small paint losses to the extreme corners as well as to the left part of the lower edge, not visible when framed. The canvas is slightly undulating in the lower right corner. This work is in overall 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."

Catalogue Note

'In 1928-30,' Dora Perez-Tibi has noted, 'the place of the model in Dufy's studio on the Impasse de Guelma was often taken by the Indian, Anmaviti Pontry. She frequently poses nude, reclining on an Indian shawl whose decorative sumptuousness is matched by that of the hangings printed with oriental motifs: her lascivious pose and the explosion of colour suggest an atmosphere of unequivocal eroticism[...].

In Dufy's work, the model is created by colour; the light of the painting emanates from the model's flesh[...]. These nudes are at rest; the painter does not surprise them, as Degas does, at their toilette, seeking to interpret their movements, or like Bonnard, who models Marthe's body in a golden light, making it palpitate beneath his brushstroke. Their opulent appearance is devoid of vulgarity' (Dora Perez-Tibi, op. cit., p. 242).

The first owner of this work was Gaston de Havenon, a dealer and collector who specialised in African art. Born in Tunis, he came to the United States in 1929 and went into the perfume business, later opening an art gallery in the Fuller Building in New York.