- 225
André Derain
Description
- André Derain
- LA SEINE à NANTERRE
- Signed a. Derain (lower right)
- Watercolor and ink on paper
- 18 7/8 by 24 3/4 in.
- 48 by 63 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, France
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
In the present work, the artist has positioned himself atop a small hill overlooking the moored fishing boats along the Seine riverbank right across from the Sablière, a large paper factory in Nanterre. Resolutely modern, the artist is visibly experimenting with new compositions and exploring new methods of depicting nature. The energetic brushwork of the grass in the foreground and the tangled branches of the trees appear spontaneously applied, infusing the elements of nature with a life-like vitality. Mere lines and swift strokes are used to depict the fisherman along the riverbanks. Depth and perspective are not indicated by nuances and shading but instead by planes of pure primary color and composition. In discussing this particular feature of Derain's unique style, Georges Duthuit notes, "His forms are sometimes reduced to the point of fragility; and sometimes he has recourse to a jerky line in order to animate colored planes incapable of setting themselves in motion of their own accord" (Georges Duthuit, The Fauvist Painters, New York, 1950, p. 47). This development in Dܫerain's work and his exploration of a new purified form of painting strongly forecasts the 1905 Salon d'Automne and the impending fauve revolution.