Sam Salz, Inc., New York
Léon Delaroche, Paris (acquired from the above on November 22, 1938)
Private Collection, Europe (and sold: Christie's, New York, November 8, 2006, lot 67)
Acquired at the above sale

Jean & Henry Dauberville, Bonnard, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, 1888-1905, vol. I, Paris, 1965, no. 76, illustrated p. 139

This work is in very good condition. The board is sound and very slightly bowing inward. A few areas of exposed board appear slightly time darkened. Surface is nicely preserved. Under UV, no inpainting is visible.
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.

Painted in 1894, Aux courses reflects on the tradition of equestrian painting established by Bonnard’s predecessors: Gericault, Delacroix, Manet and Degas. For these artists, horse races served as a testament to their abilities, from capturing the grace and agility of the horses to the alluring culture and fashion surrounding the race. As often found in Bonnard’s paintings, the artist explores the essence of an environment; he strikes a balance between the architectural formalities of space and the nature of an evolving movement. Bonnard plays with composition and color, juxtaposing the fretful foreground, filled with spectators, against the verdant rolling fields of the countryside behind them. By doing so, Bonnard’s painting captures the spirit of modern life: its fleeting moments and social theatrics. He depicts the horse races as a public spectacle, not solely focusing on the horses and riders. Furthermore, Bonnard does not distance the riders from the public, painting them amongst the fashionably dressed spectators.

However, Bonnard was not interested in what was merely fashionable. Rather, he sought to depict the captivating incidents of the everyday. Critic Roger Marx praised Bonnard for his ability to capture unconscious gestures, writing that Bonnard “has the gift for picking out and quickly seizing the picturesque in every spectacle” (quoted in Pierre Bonnard, The Graphic Art (exhibition catalogue),💯 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1989, p. 127). By depicting the group of horses and riders in a seemingly haphazard configuration, Bonnard’s works seems as if it’s captured photographically, adding to the painting’s ephemeral quality.