Property of a Distinguished American Collection

Georges Jules Victor Clairin

Carnaval à Venice

Lot Closed

January 30, 05:27 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Georges Jules Victor Clairin

French

1843 - 1919

Carnaval à Venice

signed G. Clairin (lower left)

oil on canvas

canvas: 23 5/8 by 35 3/4 in.; 60 by 91 cm

framed: 33 3/4 by 45 in.; 85.7 by 114.3 cm

The edges of the canvas have been reinforced with a wax lining. The paint surface is stable and in good condition. Under UV light, there are areas of retouching along the bottom and upper edges of the canvas, between the two figures in the foreground at left, in the sky at center, and to the large column at right.
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.

Sale: Aguttes, Paris, 6 October 2004, lot 30
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Clairin's carnival scene unfolds at the foot of the Colonna di San Marco with the church of San Maggiore visible across the Grand Canal. Cloaked and masked figures walk past pedestrians and pigeons while a troupe of actors dressed as characters from the commedia dell'arte perform at right in view of the Marciana Library, whose façade is delineated but largely unpainted.

Known as "Jojette" to his friends, Clairin was a close friend of many of the artists, writers, musicians, and actors that animated Belle Époque Paris including the famed actress and sculptor Sarah Bernhardt. Clairin made a number of paintings and watercolors in Venice on visits in the early 1890s, focused primarily on elegant genre scenes and elaborate festivals.