Jos Hessel, Paris (acquired circa 1913)
Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1917 and thence by descent

New York, The New York Armory; Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago & Boston, Copley Society of Boston, International Exhibition of Modern Art, 1913, no. 281
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Tentoonstelling van schilderijen, 1917, no. 79, illustrated in the catalogue p. 6
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (on loan from the present owner)

Alec Wildenstein, Odilon Redon, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint et dessiné, vol. III, Paris, 1996, no. 1613, illustrated p. 163

This work is in very good condition. Canvas is lined. Surface retains a rich textured impasto, particularly in the flowers. Under UV light four to six scattered pindots of inpainting are visible in the background above the flowers to address losses. A few other pigments fluoresce but appear to be 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.
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.

The subject of the floral still-life preoccupied Redon throughout his career but it was not until an exhibition at Durand-Ruel in the spring of 1906 that this theme began to dominate his work. As Richard Hobbs has explained, "'These fragile scented beings, admirable prodigies of light,' as [the artist] later described them, were providing him with a motif through which to develop the joyful and spiritual transformation of natural forms that is characteristic of so many of his colour works... He associated flowers with a delicate but fundamental kind of artistic expression. Flowers were becoming a theme of primary importance to Redon, both as motifs for experimentation with colour and as the expression of a personal lyricism" (Richard Hobbs, Odilon Redon, London, 1977, p. 139).

This bouquet of deep crimson poppies and attentively detailed Sweet William radiates in a luminous blue vase. The present work shows the artist's study of color, introducing vibrant touches of orange and purple amidst tonalities of red and green. The flower arrangement presents a subtle yet marked contrast against the simple, atmospheric background. The incredible care and precision of the brushwork of blossoms and foliage demonstrates Redon's ability to infuse a common floral still-life composition with the soulful mystical aesthetic of his Symbolist paintings.

Pavots et oeillets de Poète dans un vase bleu was one of thirty-eight works by Redon exhibited at the groundbreaking International Exhibition of Modern Art, often referred to as the Armory Show of 1913 (see fig. 2). The Armory Show was widely credited as the moment that contemporary European Art was introduced to the American Public; its organizers, Arthur B. Davies, Walter Kuhn and Walter Pack, consciously decided to focus on the work of Redon after encountering his work in Europe. Several of Redon’s works at the exhibition were purchased by the American heiress Lillie P. Bliss, including Silence (see fig. 1) and Roger and Angelica, both of which she later gifted to the Museum of Modern Art.