Christie's is proud to offer for sale The Guardsmark Collection of Belle Époque Prints, formed over the past thirty-two years by Ira A. Lipman, Founder and Chairman of Guardsmark, one of the world's largest security services companies. Mr. Lipman purchased from a number of sources including dealers and international auction houses. His most frequent sounding board was the late Alfred Isselbacher, the Madison Avenue Gallerist. With Alfred's help and counsel, Mr. Lipman strove to select the best impressions in the finest condition available. Beginning with the Divan Japonais and Babylone d'Allemagne (lots 426-7) purchased at Isselbacher Gallery in 1975, Mr. Lipman gradually built up a comprehensive holding of both Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries, Bonnard, Vuillard and Gauguin together with twentieth century prints by masters such as Matisse and Picasso. At the Guardsmark building in downtown Memphis, the prints were hung in museum-like conditions and were preserved by minimal exposure to light and humidity. With the recent move of the company headquarters to New York, the decision has been made to change the emphasis of the Guardsmark Collection and to allow other collectors to acquire these works from this extraordinary collection. It is Christie's privilege to have been chosen as the venue for this sale.

PIERRE BONNARD (1867-1947)

Le canotage (Roger-Marx 44; Bouvet 42)

Details

PIERRE BONNARD (1867-1947)
Le canotage (Roger-Marx 44; Bouvet 42)
lithograph in colors, 1897, on Chine volant, signed in pencil, from the edition of 100 (there are a few proofs in black), published by Ambroise Vollard, Paris, with full margins, in very good condition, framed
L. 10½ x 18 5/8 in. (266 x 471 mm.)
S. 16 7/8 x 22½ in. (428 x 571 mm.)

Provenance

Sotheby's, New York, November 7, 1995, sale 6767, lot 424.

Lot Essay

This four-color lithograph was included in the second Album d'estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard. Bonnard also designed the cover, title, contents, and end pages for this portfolio, which included 32 original plates in total by Cézanne, Pissarro, Puvis de Chavannes, Redon, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Vuillard, Whistler, and others. Bonnard's lithograph is based on his painting of 1896, Boating at Chatou (see C. Ives, H. Giambruni, and S. Newman, Pierre Bonnard: The Graphic Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1989.)

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