Marita Paul, Stockholm
Sale: Svensk-Franska, Stockholm, March 20, 1942
Private Collection (and sold: Christie's, London, November 30, 1992, lot 23)
Private Collection, Japan 
Acquired from the above 

Stockholm, Liljevalchs Konsthall, Fran Cézanne till Picasso, 1954, no. 323, illustrated in the catalogue 

Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, Georges Rouault: Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. I, Monte Carlo, 1988, no. 270, illustrated p. 83 

This work is in good overall condition. Executed in oil on thick paper, laid down on canvasboard. There is a thick varnish through which the UV light cannot fully penetrate but UV examination does reveal some scattered lines of fluorescence and possible areas of retouching in places, the most prominent of which are to the upper part of the extreme left edge and to the lower part of the figure's face. There are a few small repaired tears to the extreme left edge of the sheet and some fine lines of craquelure in places relating to minor creases from the laying down process. Some small scattered losses to the figure's hat that appear to have been infilled.
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.

Fabrice Hergott writes, "The world Rouault painted has nothing in common with everyday reality. He shows us the dark aspect of each individual lying behind the superficial mask of the brothel or of the circus. Thus, his clowns and horse-riders are not the characters from the Cirque Fernando, which Rouault must have seen as a child, but the face of people he saw around him in the street" (Fabrice Hergott, "The Early Rouault," in Georges Rouault, The Early Years, 1903-1920 (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Art, London, 1993, p. 22). 

In the present work, layers of pigment can be discerned throughout the composition. The thick impasto creates a palpable three-dimensionality that is emblematic of Rouault’s oeuvre. The artist envelops the figure represented here employing an expressive palette that communicates an emotional depth in deep reds and blacks. The🥃 figure's intensity is further emphasi♏zed through a combination of rapid, energetic brushwork and Rouault's characteristic build-up of paint, suggesting that he returned to the painting more than once.