Sale: Christie's, New York, May 5, 2005, lot 397
Acquired at the above sale

Louis Chaumeil, Van Dongen, L'homme et l'artiste—La vie et l'oeuvre, Geneva, 1967, no. 149, illustrated pl. 149

In very good condition. The canvas is unlined. There are a few thin cracks in thickest pigments in the upper register. The surface is clean. Under U.V, there is a spot of inpainting near the lower right corner of the vase, and three small spots on the mid-left edge. Otherwise in good condition.
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.

Le Vase de tulipes is a bold and vibrant explosion of multi-colored tulips placed against a dramatic red background. Encapsulating the Fauve aesthetic in its theatricality, it challenges the traditional depictions of the still-life genre, transforming a typically unassuming subject into a dynamic composition of color and texture.

Van Dongen uses color as the primary means of expression, playing with light to suggest form and depth, much like the great modern masters Bonnard and Matisse. According to Marcel Giry, “In fact, it can be said that [Bonnard & Matisse] were motivated by a desire to rearrange the perceptible world, adding their own lyrical note, and that their technique was the same in each case, consisting of the vigorous application of pure colors… Van Dongen, however, breaks down some of his colors under the influence of light in order to suggest the enveloping atmosphere” (Marcel Giry, Fauvism: Origins and Development, New York, 1981, p. 84). 

By 1908 van Dongen's paintings were wildly popular and he was briefly represented by the renowned dealer Daniel Henry Kahnweiler, who organized exhibitions of the artist's work in Düsseldorf and Paris. Later that year van Dongen ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚwas taken up by the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, the institution that&nbꦜsp;represented many of the most prominent artists of the period, including Bonnard, Matisse and Modigliani.