HENRI MARTIN | Le Bassin et le tonnelle

Galerie Serret-Fauveau, Paris
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 11, 2000, lot 163)
Acquired at the above sale

The canvas has been lined. The pigments are bright and fresh. There is some craquelure and pigment separation, most notably along the upper edge and in the lower left corner, the latter of which also contains some associated pigment lifting. There is a horizontal stretcher bar mark running along the top edge. Under UV, no inpainting is apparent. The painting is in 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.
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.

As Martin once mused, "My preoccupation with rendering atmospheric effects increased...after three months in the country, face to face with nature. Trying to capture its diverse effects, I was compelled to paint it differently. The natural light, now brilliant, then diffuse, which softened the contours of figures and landscape, powerfully obliged me to translate it any way I could, but other than using a loaded brush—through pointillé and the breaking up of tone" (quoted in Eden Close at Hand: The Paintings of Henri Martin (exhibition catalogue), Anderson Galleries, Beverly Hills & Hammer Galleries, New York, 2005, p. 26).

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by the late Cyrille Martin.