Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)

Fillette

Details
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)
Fillette
oil on canvas
6½ x 5¼ in. (16.5 x 13.4 cm.)
Painted in 1872-1873
Provenance
Auguste Pellerin, Paris (by 1929).
Mme René Lecomte, Paris (by descent from the above); sale, Christie's, New York, 8 November 1999, lot 134.
Private collection, United Kingdom (acquired at the above sale); sale, Christie's, London, 9 February 2011, lot 39.
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner.
Literature
L. Venturi, Cézanne, Son art--son oeuvre, Paris, 1936, vol. I, p. 332, no. 1520 B (illustrated, vol. II, pl. 387; dated 1871-1872).
S. Orienti, The Complete Paintings of Cézanne, New York, 1976, p. 96, no. 244 (illustrated, p. 97; titled Girl in a White Apron and dated 1871-1872).
J. Rewald, The Paintings of Paul Cézanne, A Catalogue Raisonné, New York, 1996, vol. I, p. 143, no. 181 (illustrated, vol. II, p. 62).
Exhibited
Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Hommage à Cézanne, July-October 1954, no. 21.

Brought to you by

Stefany Sekara Morris
Stefany Sekara Morris

Lot Essay

Dated circa 1872-1873 by John Rewald, Fillette is an early canvas formerly owned by margarine magnate Auguste Pellerin who, along with early collector Victor Chocquet and dealer Ambroise Vollard, was one of Cézanne's greatest champions, his estate boasting 92 works by the artist. It is a tribute to the importance of this rare and unusual early painting and also to its charming content that it remained in the hands of his family for seven decades, passing to his daughter, Madame René Lecomte. This tender scene in its gem-like format shows a girl surrounded by what seem to be abandoned toys, sitting in a contemplative mood in an outdoor corner. The flash of red of the ball on the ground adds a zest to this tight composition, contrasting with the more muted nuances of the scene. This picture provides a striking contrast to some of the more complex and tormented images that marked out much of Cézanne's early works; it is filled with light and delicacy.

More from Impressionist & Modern Day Sale

View All
View All