Private Collection, Paris
Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne
Paul Rosenberg & Co., New York
Acquired from the above in 1949

Princeton University, Alumni Exhibition, 1972

Galerie Maeght, ed., Catalogue de l'oeuvre de Georges Braque, Peintures 1942-1947, Paris, 1960, no. 86, illustrated n.p.

This painting still appears to be stretched on its original stretcher. There are no reinforcements on the reverse of the canvas or on the tacking edges. The painting is clean and well stretched. It does not appear to be varnished, but it is not dirty or in need of any restoration. In the white lily in the upper left there are three small retouches. The work is in lovely and original condition and it is certainly a situation in which the untouched state of the work should be taken advantage of. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

Nature morte aux arums belongs to Braque's important series of still lifes and interiors painted during World War II. His artistic faculties and courageous vision were ideally suited for the genre, and it has been written: "Nobody else succeeded as [Braque] did in transforming a table covered with objects into a mental space, a cerebral as well as a visual stimulus. Braque's 'pedestal tables' reflect the subjectivity of the painter as much as the objectivity of an utterly ordinary environment" (Isabelle Monod-Fontaine, "Georges Braque's Still Lifes," in Georges Braque: Order & Emotion, Andros, 2003, p. 19).

When the Germans occupied France in 1940, Braque was forced to flee—initially to the Limoges region and later to the Pyrenees—and when he returned to Paris he withdrew to his studio and lived as a recluse through the remainder of the war. He was remarkably productive during this period, though his resulting output is striking in its austerity and its focus on basic foods, for example loaves of bread or bowls of fruit, which underscore the severe deprivation he experienced. Whereas most compositions were set against black backgrounds, the offered lot, with its textured planes of blue and brown divided 🌸by a vertical band of patterned textile, may be counted amongst Braque's most vibrant and decorative wartime paintings.