皮耶·博納爾

Renée Terrasse, Paris (in 1933)

Bernheim Jeune, Paris

Private Collection

Private Collection, Connecticut

Paris, Galerie Braun, Portraits de Pierre Bonnard, 1933, no. 15 (titled Portrait de Mlle Renée Terrasse)

Paris, Galerie Braun, Quinzaine Bonnard au Cannet, 1967-68, no. 3

Charles Terrasse, Bonnard, Paris, 1927, illustrated p. 129

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. IV, Paris, no. 2085, illustrated p. 365

Very good condition. The canvas has been lined with a glue lining. Around the edges there is evidence that the artist himself abbreviated the size of the picture during painting and there is a slightly worn appearance to the edges. There are losses in the center of the top edge and on the right side. Under UV, there are a few minor spots of retouching in the upper right in the brown area and a spot in the lower left in the chair and along the top edge.
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.

Bonnard's niece Vivette is the subject of this serene portrait from 1916.  The artist spent several weeks each spring in the company of his sister Andrée, her husband the composer Claude Terrasse, and their children.  Vivette was the youngest member of the family, and she featured in many photographs that Bonnard took of the family in the early 1900s.  At the time of this composition, Vivette was now a young woman, and her likeness to Bonnard's companion Marthe is apparent.  As a child, Vivette appears as one of the youngsters in the foreground of La Famille au jardin (Grand-Lemps), circa 1901 (fig. 1). In that large composition Claude Terrasse sits cross-legged at left seemingly presiding over the domestic bliss around him replete with numerous children, pets and visitors.  By 1916, Vivette becomes the subject of this more intimate portrait, evidencing the artist's continued close relationship with his niece.