Lot Painted in Fine Arts Associates Otto M. Gerson , New York. Gerson , New York acquired from the above, October Acquired at the above sale by the late owners. Potter et al. I, pp. On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the sale of certain lots consigned for sale. This will usually be where it has guaranteed to the Seller that whatever the outcome of the auction, the Seller will receive a minimum sale price for the work. This is known as a minimum price guarantee.
Brought to you by. General Enquiries. Lot Essay During the opening years of the 20th century, Bonnard painted a series of Parisian cityscapes near his apartment at 65, rue de Douai that portray with droll delight the countless vignettes and chance encounters that comprise the daily experience of the urban street, glimpsed in passing.
In the present scene, two women in showy, oversized hats promenade along the sidewalk, drawing the attention of a slump-shouldered figure who has stopped to rest on a bench. Rather than painting from a window looking down over the street, as Camille Pissarro had done in Paris and Rouen since the mids, Bonnardβan inveterate early-morning walkerβhere chose a street-level vantage point, positioning himself as an active participant in the bustle of the modern metropolis as well as an astute observer.
The neighborhood where he lived and worked was an unpretentious, middle-class quarter at the foot of Montmartre, long frequented by artists and writers; Pablo Picasso lived a block away from May until January , during his second stay in Paris, and painted the area as well.
The principal theme of the painting, however, is not the topography of the street itself but rather the human spectacle that it encompasses. The storefronts rise in the middle distance like a theatrical backdrop, blocking out all but a small corner of sky at the top left. The passage of shadow in the very foreground, with a decorative scalloped edge suggesting an awning above, marks out a distinct, sheltered spot for artist and viewer as they observe this quotidian pageant.
