European Art

This lot is accompanied by a photo-certificate issued by Wanda de Guébriant and dated Paris, le 20/2/85.

Provenance:

The Artist's Estate

Acquavella Galleries, New York

Sharyn Bey, acquired from the above, c. 1987

Sold: Christie’s, London, February 3, 2010, Lot 243

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Literature:

Pierre Schneider, Matisse, New York, 1984, p. 739, illus.

Vence, 1947, with its rhythmic whorls and assured lines, depicts the lush landscape of southern France in a composition of arching branches that frame the bell tower of the town’s cathedral. Matisse had relocated to Vence in July 1943 to flee the German bombardment of Nice, eventually buying a home in the medieval town. Prior to his move, in 1941, the artist had become ill and was reliant on a wheelchair. Painting and sculpture became physical challenges, so Matisse turned to alternative media, including drawing. It was at this time that the artist, a notoriously dissatisfied perfectionist, began to appreciate his own works. In 1942, he wrote that, “For a year now I've been making an enormous effort in drawing. I say effort but that's a mistake, because what has occurred is a floraison (blossoming) after fifty years of effort.”