THÉO VAN RYSSELBERGHE | Faux-poivriers et abutilon

Galerie Georges Giroux, Brussels
Lucien Hauman (acquired from the above in 1921)
Mlle Hauman, Brussels
Thence by descent to the present owner

Paris, Galerie Druet, Théo van Rysselberghe, 1913, no. 30 (titled Abutilon et faux poivrier)
Laren, Larense Kunsthandel, Théo van Rysselberghe, 1913, no. 54 (titled Abutilon et faux-poivrier)
Brussels, Galerie Georges Giroux, Esthétique Nouvelle, 1921, no. 205 (titled Bouquet de faux-poivriers et d'abutilon)
Brussels, Galerie Giroux, Rétrospective Théo van Rysselberghe, 1927, no. 67 (titled Faux-poivriers et abutilons)
Copenhagen, Carlsberg Glyptotek, Belgisk Kunst, 1931, no. 172 (titled Poivrier et Abutilon)
Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts & The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Théo van Rysselberghe, 2006, n.n., illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Ronald Feltkamp, Théo Van Rysselberghe, Catalogue raisonné 1862-1926, 2003, no. 1913-018, illustrated p. 406 (titled Abutilon, faux-poivriers et hibiscus)

Executed on board. The board is sound with a slight convex bow. Examination under UV light reveals no signs of retouching. The edges are uneven with nicks and small losses in places. There are artist's pinholes in all four corners and at intermittent points along each edge. There are three fine surface scratches towards the centre of the lower edge. There a few scattered spots of pigment loss in places, most noticeably to the lower right edge, towards the lower left corner and above the artist's monogram. There are a few smaller specks of paint loss in the green pigment of the bouquet. 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."

Born in Ghent in 1862, Théo van Rysselberghe became a founding member of the avant-garde Les XX in 1884. A new exhibiting artist group, Les XX were among the first admirers and adherents of Neo-Impressionism, which rejected the spontaneity of Impressionist painting and favoured instead a methodical application of paint governed by the scientific principles of colour theory. Van Rysselberghe executed his earliest Neo-Impressionist paintings in 1888, two years after his first contact with Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, fully embracing this style of planar strokes and precise colours by the following year.

Faux-poivriers et abutilon is an exceptional example of the artist's command over his medium and showcases his mature style. As Paul Fierens writes, 'About 1900, Van Rysselberghe's art relaxed. The colourist had gradually left behind the orthodoxy of Neo-Impressionism. He was still 'separating,' but in a less methodical manner. His brush-stroke was becoming larger. He was manipulating the brush and matching pure colour tones to each other with a new freedom. He was moving away from the technique of light-painting while preserving its spirit; he seemed no longer to consult anything but his instinct and his senses in the choice of tone and strength of colour, and in the disposition of strokes' (Paul Fierens, Théo Van Rysselberghe, Brussels, 1937, p. 27).

The first private collector to own the present work, Lucien Hauman, was a famed Belgian botanist who specialised in plants native to South America and Africa. Various plant genera commemorate his name and the botanical garden at the University of Buenos Aires is named in his honour.