Sale: Sotheby's, New York, May 14, 1997, lot 152
Private Collection, France

Work is in very good condition. Canvas is not lined. Surface is clean. Under UV light: a few small strokes of inpainting at upper right corner and center of upper edge to address prior frame abrasion. One pindot retouching at center of bottom edge and one small stroke at center of composition, otherwise fine.
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 a young painter, Friesz admired the work of Monet, Jongkind and Boudin and quickly adopted an impressionist style while working with Pissarro and Guillaumin in 1901. Unlike the majority of Fauve painters, Othon Friesz held on to many of the characteristic techniques of the Impressionists while attempting a new use of color, "to render the light of the sun by a technique composed of colored orchestrations-- passionate transpositions (with nature as their starting point)" (Joseph-Emil Muller, Fauvism, New York, 1967, p. 127).

In the present work, Friesz renders the port at Honfleur by combining greens with pink, purples with orange, and reds with purples and blues. These striking combinations of color announce the Fauvist landsc🎉ape as it emerged from the Impressionist preoccupation with light.