Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris (inv. no. 015458)
Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne
Private Collection (acquired by 1998)
Sale: Claude Boisgirard, Paris, April 12, 2002, lot 57
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Francis Ponge, Pierre Descargues & André Malraux, G. Braque, Paris, 1971, illustrated p. 194

The canvas is unlined. There is a minor spot of paint loss to the belly of the central pitcher and one further pin-point-sized loss to the pigment in the center of the foreground. There is frame abrasion around the periphery of the canvas. When examined under UV light, there appears to be some retouching to the aforementioned loss to the pitcher. The varnish obscures further reading. The surface is a little dirty and the canvas would benefit from a light clean. The painting is in very 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.

Braque’s fascination with the still life persisted throughout his long and productive career. He found the arrangement of a limited number of objects on a table-top or in an interior to be the most appropriate mode for his investigations of the formal and tactile qualities of painting. Nature morte, pot et fruits is a prime example of the artist's mature explorations of the complex relationships between form and space. He wrote, "without having striven for it, I do in fact end by changing the meaning of objects and giving them a pictorial significance which is adequate to their new life. When I paint a vase, it is not with the intention of painting a utensil capable of holding water. It is for quite another reason. Objects are recreated for a new purpose: in this case, that of playing a part in a picture. Once an object has been integrated into a picture, it accepts a new density and at the same time becomes universal. If it remains an individual object this must be due to lack of improvisation or imagination. As they give up their habitual function, so objects become united by the relationships which sprung up between them and the picture and ultimately myself" (quoted in Douglas Cooper, Braque, The Great Years, Chicago, 1972, p. 111).