Sale: Christie's, London, 27th June 1989, lot 261
Marlborough Galerie, Zurich
Acquired from the above by the present owner in July 1997

Paris, Galerie Druet, Exposition des œuvres d'André Lhote, 1920, no. 12
Paris, Galerie Paul Rosenberg, André Lhote, 1921, no. 4
Paris, Petit Palais, Les Maîtres contemporains de l'Art Vivant, 1937, no. 16

The canvas is lined. There is a thick layer of varnish preventing the UV light from fully penetrating. There are scattered flecks of retouching visible on the legs, chest and hair of the sitter and some further areas at the left of the chateau and in the green pigments in the foreground. There are areas of retouching running at intervals along the edges, probably due to previous frame rubbing. Apart from two pinhead-sized paint losses in the lower left quadrant and some light craquelure in the sitter's chest, this work is in good condition. Colours: The colours are overall much brighter and the green hues much more varied and vibrant in the original. The nude appears less pink in the original.
"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."

Set in a bright forest landscape, André Lhote's La Mélancolie is a sensational example of the artist's important nude series in which each element of the composition portrays a different feeling or emotion. The blue and green tones of the surrounding trees reflect upon the nude's body, a metaphor of her own emotion. This work is a significant expression from a powerful, emotionally charged series, and was deemed so important to Lhote himself that it inspired a drawing for the cover of the 1917 issue of Flamman, a seminal periodical of the time (fig. 1).

Painted circa 1912, La Mélancolie embodies the artistic change prevalent in this period after the fruition of Fauvism and at the cusp of the Cubists' revolution. As demonstrated here, Lhote anticipated the transition towards geometric forms, whilst retaining the vibrant palette of the Fauves. Here is an artist drawing a link between the passion of the Fauve and the intellect of the Cubist.

The blues, greens, and yellows are richer than nature, and the nude's body defies anatomical correctness with an artistic licence typical of such a pioneer. Like many Fauve painters, Lhote was inspired by the aesthetics of Post-Impressionism, and especially by Gauguin and Cézanne – both of whom broke new ground with their compositional and colourist innovations. Lhote's debt to Gauguin as a colorist is particularly evident in the present work (see fig. 2). While the colours, forms, and inspirations remain truly Fauve, the angular edges, multiple viewpoints, broken planes, and sharpened edges clearly lean towards Cubism. The present work therefore conclusively ties two important movements together, taking inspiration from one, and paying homage to another. The hist💜orical significance of this painting is as apparent as the artist's masterful technique in representing a beautiful scene during a melancholy moment.

FIG. 1, Cover of Flamman, a Swedish art magazine, 1917

FIG. 2, Paul Gauguin, Te arii vahine, 1896,﷽ oil on canvas, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Ar🉐ts, Moscow