HENRY MORET | Rochers à Belle-Île, Rochers le Pont Donnant

Sale: Thierry de Maigret, Paris, 22nd June 2012, lot 85
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The canvas is not lined and examination under UV light reveals no signs of retouching. The fluorescents visible under UV light appears to be consistent with the original pigment. There is a small tear to the left of the centre (approx. 2cm long) with associated paint loss. There are two small punctures to the canvas, close to the right edge, with associated paint loss. There are fine lines of entirely stable craquelure in places. There is a small spot of paint loss to the sea towards the centre left, as well as a further small spot of paint loss at the top of the rock, just left of the central rock. 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."

Fascinated by the sea, Henry Moret used deep colours and vigorous brushstrokes to capture its power, matched against the unyielding force of granite outcrops. Combining the aesthetics of Japanese-inspired simplicity with an undeniably Impressionist technique, Moret created landscapes that offer a magical blend of stark Modern compositions and captivating palettes. The Post-Impressionist painter Émile Bernard wrote of Moret: ‘He was a very gentle, likeable character; a peaceable, sincere revolutionary. I lost sight of him when I left Pont-Aven […] He had turned away from our developments in Synthesis and gone over to the plein-air school of Monet […] So far from weakening his talent he had strengthened it, rejecting theories, keeping in touch with life itself, with nature’ (quoted in Wladyslawa Jaworska, Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School, London, 1972, p. 183-84.)



This work will be included in the Catalogue raisonné being prepared by Jean-Yves Rolland.