ALFRED STEVENS | Les Papillons

Georges Petit, Paris (acquired directly from the artist, 1882)
Private Collection, United States (acquired from the above, 1885)
Mr. and Mrs. Louis H. Pelouze, New York (by 1911) 
Judge Peter K. Leisure, New York (2006, by descent through the family from the above) 
Thence by descent to the present owner

Paris, Galeries Georges Petit, Exposition Internationale de Peinture, 1882, no. 42 
Nice, Exposition Internationale, 1883-84, no. 77A 
Brussels, Salon de Bruxelles, 1884, no. 794 
New York, Berlin Photographic Company, Alfred Stevens, February 27-March 11, 1911, no. II (as Mdme. Sarah Bernhardt and her son Maurice, lent by Mrs. Louis H. Pelouze)

Courrier de l'Art, September 19, 1884, no. 38, p. 447 
Alfred Stevens, Tableaux dont je me souviens, 1889, Registre, no. 365 
Gustave Vanzype, Les Frères Stevens, Brussels, 1936, p. 103, no. 76 
William A. Coles, Alfred Stevens, exh. cat., The University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor; The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Montréal, Canada, September 10, 1977-March 19, 1978, pp. 81, 145 (under no. 35, as Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt and her son Maurice)
Christiane Lefebvre, Alfred Stevens, Paris, 2000, p. 109, no. 115, illustrated p. 104

Oil on stable panel. The colors remain vibrant. There are scattered areas of drying cracks in the background in the darkest pigments. Under UV: varnish fluoresces green unevenly and in a streaky manner in a number of areas. There are finely applied dashes of inpainting covering a large portion of the two darker tree trunks at right, with some additional fine retouches scattered in the background.
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.

Alfred Stevens was a dedicated chronicler of the modern Parisienne, and his compositions recorded in great detail the latest fashions and the most fashionable spaces of Belle Époque Paris, from glamorous interiors to cafes and parks. The present lot depicts a well-dressed mother who watches as her child chases butterflies. Stevens’ energetic composition has been brought to life by his quick brushstrokes and bursts of color, the flowers and butterflies appearing like confetti across the cool grass. When Les Papillons was exhibited in New York in 1911, it was known as a portrait of the actress Sarah Bernhardt and her son, Maurice. However, recent scholarship has determined that this is unlikely, as Maurice would have been seventeen in 1882. Stevens painted Bernhardt on at least five occasions, and given that the actress was such a fashion icon for women, and that styling oneself à la Sarah Bernhardt was a popular trend, it is possible that the present figure was painted with the star in mind.




We would like to thank the Comité Alfred Stevens for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work, which will be included in their catalogue raisonné now in preparation.