Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris
Collection particulière, France
Galerie l’Or du Temps, Paris
Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel 

Geneviève Bonnefoi, Hantaï, Montauban, 1973, n.p., illustré en couleurs
Paris, Galerie Jean Fournier, Etudes Pour Pierre Reverdy, janvier - mai 1969; carton d'invitation, illustré

The overall tonality is more contrasted in the original work. Moreover, the white is warmer and brighter than in the catalogue illustration and the green is lighter and brighter. The work is executed on its original canvas and is not relined. The surface presents some classic cracks and fold marks, inherent to the artist's folding technique. Under Ultra Violet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. This work is in excellent original 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The English translation of this note follows the French

Notice de catalogue
En 1969, Hantaï revient à un procédé proche de celui des Mariales. Les Etudes réalisées cette année-là s’inscrivent dans cette continuité. Dédiées au poète Pierre Reverdy, proche d’Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Modigliani, ✅Braque et Picasso, celles-ci sont chargées de la même intensité poétique et spirituelle, la couleur frappant à la manière d’un « poing sur la réalité bien pleine », comme aurait pu dire l’homme qui vécut les trente dernières années de sa vie en réclusion méditative à l’abbaye bénédicti🏅ne de Solesmes. Mais elles vont plus loin que la simple fragmentation lyrique, l’artiste choisissant de ne recouvrir la toile que d'une seule couleur monochrome. Le rouge, le bleu, le vert, le violet ou le noir dialoguent alors de façon tout à fait inédite et grandiose avec le blanc laissé en réserve. Intact et virginal, le blanc s’active, entrant en interaction avec les zones peintes sur l’ensemble de la toile après dépliage. Pour la première fois, Simon Hantaï met sur un pied d’égalité le peint et le non-peint. Le programme et l’accident coexistent. Radical et magistral. 

Catalogue note
In 1969, Hantaï returned to a method close to that of his Mariales. The Etudes or Studies made that same year fall into this continuity. Dedicated to the poet Pierre Reverdy, they are charged with the same poetic and spiritual intensity, colour striking “reality like a fist” as Hantai could have said, a man who spent the last thirty years of his life in meditative retreat at the Benedictine Abbey of Solesmes. But they go further than a simple poetic fragmentation, as the artist chose to cover t♛he canvas with only one monochromatic colour. Red, blue, green, purple or black dialogue, thus, in a totally unprecedented and grandiose way with the white left in reserve. Intact and virginal, the white activates itself, entering into an interaction with the painted zones across the canvas once it has been unfolded. For the first time, Simon Hantaï placed the painted and the non-painted on equal footing. The programmed and the accidental co-exist. Radical and majestic.