Private Collection, Paris (acquired in Paris in the 1950s and thence by descent)
Acquired from the above by the present owner 

The canvas is lined. There is a thick varnish preventing the UV light from fully penetrating. There is a very small line of paint loss in the figure's face with associated retouching and another in the green background to the right of her head. There is a small paint loss in the lower right of the window pane and another small paint loss in the tablecloth at the lower centre. There is an area of fluorescence in the lower centre of the tablecloth, and another smaller area of fluorescence near the figure's bent knee. These areas are possibly old retouching to cover craquelure. All retouching is visible under UV light. Otherwise, apart from some stable craquelure in scattered areas, this work is in overall good 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This present work depicts the artist's young wife,🍰 Jeanne Carette, who Manguin had married in 1899 and who would continue to be his muse for over thirty years.

The table has been set and Jeanne, seen from behind, adds the finishing touches. The still life at the heart of the composition suggests Manguin's admiration for the work of Paul Cézanne. Indeed we find here the rigorous construction, intensity of colour and subject matter so characteristic of the Aix-en-Provence master whom Manguin would have admired at Ambroise Vollard's gallery in 1898 and at the Salon des Indépendents the following year. It was compositions such as this that would earn him, a few years later, glowing praise from Guillaume Appolinaire: 'Well composed, Manguin's still lives please the eye more perhaps than the paintings. It is only in these compositions that his colourist's instinct can fully reveal itself without being constrained' (Guillaume Apollinaire, La Vie Artistique in 'Exposition Manguin', L'Intransigeant, 14th June, 1910).