Private Collection, Japan (and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 23, 2011,  lot 186)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner 

Bernard Dorival & Isabelle Rouault, Rouault, L'Oeuvre peint, vol. II, Monte-Carlo, 1988, no. 2355, illustrated p. 234

Executed on paper mounted on cradled panel. The panel is sound. The surface of the work bears a lovely and thick application of medium which is a hallmark of the artist's style. The surface is clean and bears a layer of varnish. There appears to be a vertical crease in the upper right quadrant which is visible on very close inspection. Under UV light there are some pin dot and nail head size dots of inpainting at the extreme upper left corner and at the center of the composition roughly two inches below the sun and near the bottom edge. This work is 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.

Between the years of 1935 and 1945, Rouault painted a substantial number of landscapes categorized as Paysage Bibliques and Paysage animés. Created form his imagination rather than direct observation, his landscapes are notorious for the subtle placement of huddled groups of figures in rural settings. With an emphasis on pure color, these pictures demonstrate a serene atmospheric calm. The artist’s strong religious faith was the direct and overwhelming influence on these pictures. Rouault proclaimed: “I was like a peasant in the field, attached to my pictorial soil, like the man hanged by his own hemped rope, like an ox under the yoke. Through terribly restless, I never took my nose out of my work save to ascertain the light, the shadow, the half tint, the curious features of certain pilgrims’ faces. I noted forms, colors, and fleeting harmonies until I was sure they were so indelibly impressed in my memory that they would stay with me beyond the grave” (Georges Rouault, Soliloques, Neuchâtel, 1944, n.p.).

With Rouault’s words in mind, Pierre Courthion’s astute comments about the artist’s technique are especially apt: “When we examine a Rouault, what strikes us first? Above all, the way the painted has been applied: very thickly and with passion, with great sureness, and with spontaneity… the thickly applied pigment achieves a hitherto unknown degree of energy; every form seems to flow directly from the artist’s hand into our own sensibility” (Pierre Courthion, Georges Rouault, New York, 1961, p. 234).