French Artists Stole The Show At Heritage – Antiques And The Arts Weekly

Review by Kiersten Busch

DALLAS — On June 4, Heritage Auctions conducted its Fine European Art Signature Auction, which featured 74 lots of paintings, prints and multiples, sculpture and other works on paper from across Europe. The sale realized $788,781, with a sell-through rate of 91 percent. Marianne Berardi, director of European art at Heritage, commented, “I thought the sale performed very well overall, with solid results across the board and across genres and styles. I was very pleased. It was an attractive sale with a strong focus on colorful offerings by French artists — big names and small. People responded and pursued quality. It was nice to see.”

Leading the sale was “Nu accroupi sur une couverture” by Jacques Majorelle. The circa 1933-44 work, which used gouache, pastel and metallic powders on heavy paper, featured a young nude woman seated on a richly hued red textile. Her knees were raised, blocking her fully nude body from the viewer. “The Majorelle was not particularly a surprise as the top lot because it is a stunning work, one whose whereabouts were unknown at the time the catalogue raisonné on the artist was published,” explained Berardi. “But it is a reemergence which frequently has an especially exciting result. The excellence of the painting, and its wonderful original condition, were certainly also contributing factors to its impressive result.” It had provenance to Paul-Eugéne Sombsthay, a French expatriate banker who relocated to Morocco. It is signed and inscribed “J Majorelle / Marrakech” lower right and was sold for more than two times its high estimate, at $71,875.

Another portrait, this time by French painter Charles-Louis Bazin, secured the second-highest sale price of the auction, exchanging hands for $37,500. “Napoleon I as Emperor, after François Gérard” was an 1846 oil on canvas bust-length painting replicating the full-length portrait that Gérard completed in 1805 of Napoleon in his coronation robes. “The Bazin was a surprise,” said Berardi, “but not wholly unanticipated given a few different factors considered in hindsight. One is that Napoleon’s been in the public consciousness lately, owing to Ridley Scott’s alternately adored and maligned recent biopic. But the fact that the painting is housed in a truly stunning frame ornamented with eagles in the four spandrels captured the eye of many decorative arts enthusiasts.” The painting was signed, dated and inscribed center left, and had provenance to Nanette and Ernesto Klun from Dallas, who acquired the piece in France, as well as a private collection in Bigfork, Mont.

Landscapes also proved popular with bidders, as “Rustic mill scene in Naples” by Hubert Robert earned $32,500, the third-highest sale of the day. The drawing was signed and partially dated lower right and labeled “Napoli” lower center. It came with a letter of authenticity from Dr Sarah Catala, an expert on Robert and founder of Bella Maniera, an association for the promotion and scholarship of works by the Old Masters. “Rustic mill scene in Naples” had provenance to private collections in Paris and Texas. “The Hubert Robert sanguine drawing had a great performance, and was something we were thrilled to see bring such a big price owing to its quality,” added Berardi. “The response to our drawings is something we are paying close attention to. There is just as much appetite for works on paper as paintings on canvas, if they are of top quality.”

“Ruisseau abrité par les arbres (Stream sheltered by trees)” by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, a circa 1850 oil on canvas landscape, had provenance to private collections in The Hague, The Netherlands and Forth Worth, Texas. It was also featured in the third volume of A. Robaut’s L’oeuvre de Corot, catalogue riasonné et illustré (Paris, 1905). The painting was signed lower right and measured 9¾ by 15¼ inches.

Two paintings by French artist Edouard-Léon Cortès were also top sellers at the auction. Both completed in 1905, “Boulevard de la Madeleine” and “Rue Royale et la Madeleine” were both oil on canvas paintings which depicted different viewpoints of the neighborhood of Madeleine, in Paris. Also visible in both paintings was the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, more informally known as La Madeleine. Both paintings had provenance to the artist; Arnot Gallery, New York City, 1956; the Bradford collection from Nashville; Country Store Gallery, Austin, Texas; and a private collection, that acquired the painting from the gallery in 1999. The “Boulevard” painting sold for just above its high estimate at $27,500, while “Rue Royale” realized $23,750.

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.