Private Collection, France

Very good condition. Canvas is unlined. Under UV light, no apparent inpainting.
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.

As evident in the palette and style of the present work, Picabia had been profoundly influenced by the work of Camille Pissarro whose children, Georges and Rodo Pissarro, he met at the end of 1902. Picabia became a friend of the Pissarros and an ardent convert to Impressionism. À l'approche de l'automne is a wonderful example of the artist's documentary mode prevalent in this period. As William A. Camfield points out, "The artist chose a commonplace site, framed it informally and employed an Impressionist palette and brush technique to capture the fleeting qualities of that specific site in an instant of time. Nature seems to be neither ordered nor dramatized by the artist, but recorded by an objective observer" (William A. Camfield, Francis Picabia, New York, 1970, p. 16).