- 190
Henri Matisse
Description
- Henri Matisse
- Vue de Paris
- Signed H. Matisse (lower right)
- Oil on panel
- 7 3/4 by 14 in.
- 19.6 by 35.5 cm
Provenance
Acquired at the above sale
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.
Catalogue Note
The series of paintings depicting the Pont Saint-Michel, from varying angles and heights, at different times of the day, reflects the gradual shift in Matisse's interests and the development of his personal style, as well as more mundanely, the different floors of his studio in the building over the years. The habit of painting in pairs or series would stay with him throughout his career, allowing him to compare compositions, color modulations, the texture and density of paint application thus enabling his unending meditation on the essence of form.
Painted early on in his career, this oil on panel reveals the artist's experiments with Impressionism and his evolution towards Fauvism. He chooses to depict the bridge from the west side and focuses particularly on the structure's simple geometry, eschewing the vibrant and lively city beyond. His palette is deliberately paired down to further emphasize the stark composition, with a flare of fiery orange woven into the center of the horizon. The influence of the Impressionists is evident in both the loosely applied paint but also in the choice of subject matter: light or the near-absence of it.
Pont Saint-Michel was named after the nearby chapel of Saint-Michel and links the Place-Saint-Michel on the left bank of the Seine to the Île de la Cité. Originally constructed in 1378, the medieval bridge was rebuilt several times, most recently in 1857.
Other versions by Matisse from this series reside in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., and Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.