Private Collection, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

The canvas is not lined. There is a thick layer of varnish preventing the UV light from fully penetrating but there appear to be two nailhead-sized spots of retouching at the extreme left edge in the lower half, visible under UV light. Otherwise, this work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration, although the colours are fresher in the original and the tonal contrasts less prominent.
"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."

"[Valtat] ...painted large areas of bright colour in the manner which had been given 𒅌validity once again by Gauguin, without breaking up the surface into a series of small touches of colour and without tonal division. [He] laid on the pigment thickly, like Van Gogh, in strokes that resembled vivid scars and which no longer had anything in common with the hatchings of Impressionism or with the stippled technique of Divisionism."

Raymond Cogniat, Louis Valtat, Paris, 1963, p. 23

FIG. 1, Paul Gauguin, Deux vases de fleurs et un éventail, 1885, oil on canvas, Private Collection (sold: Sotheby's, London, 25th June 2008, lot 14)