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拍品专文
The present work, painted in 1904, dates from a pivotal moment in André Derain’s career—its bold palette, thick paint handling and novel viewpoint anticipate Fauvism, the radical movement that would be coined by critic Louis Vauxcelles a year later when describing Derain and Henri Matisse’s paintings at the Salon d’Automne, which shocked the public for their unnaturalistic palettes, flat compositions and bold, loose brushwork.
In Nature morte à la soupiére et bouteille, Derain presents a group of common objects—a soup tureen, a water jug, a glass bottle, a bowl and a tea cup—atop a clothed, square table. The red, green and yellow pigments, paired with hints of blue, pink, orange and lilac, contrast with the porcelain whites and blacks across the composition, giving the work a dynamic quality. By applying the paint in thick, energetic strokes, Derain also imbues his objects with a sense of movement, inviting viewers to experience the vibrancy of his expressive interpretation. Derain’s intentionally flattened perspective also disrupts the illusion of depth commonly found in traditional still lifes—his composition is cropped and the objects are arranged in a way that emphasizes their relationship with one another rather than their individual spatial disposition.
A few months after this work was painted, in February 1905, Matisse introduced Derain to Ambroise Vollard, the renowned art dealer that would propel his artistic career to new heights. A rare and significant work, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille contains the beginnings of all the bold qualities that would make Derain one of the most influential French painters of the early 20th century.
Christie’s is honored to present this lot on behalf of the heir of the Reichsmann family, from whom it was seized during the Second World War. Dane Reichsmann was a prosperous Jewish business owner and art collector in Zagreb, Croatia (then Yugoslavia). In 1940, Dane attended an exhibition of works from the School of Paris in Zagreb, where he purchased several paintings, including the present work by Derain, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille. The next year, on 6 April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by the Germans and divided among the Axis powers. The German forces occupied what is now Western Croatia, and Dane and his wife Frieda were deported to Auschwitz, where they were tragically murdered in 1944. Their art collection was seized by the fascist Ustaše regime and Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille was ultimately kept in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb.
Prior to the invasion of Yugoslavia, Dane’s son Franz and daughter Danica narrowly escaped Nazi persecution, emigrating to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively. After the war, Danica fought for decades to restore their family’s collection, and following her death, Franz’s son continued her efforts. In 2023, nearly eighty years later, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille was finally returned to the family of the rightful owners.
In Nature morte à la soupiére et bouteille, Derain presents a group of common objects—a soup tureen, a water jug, a glass bottle, a bowl and a tea cup—atop a clothed, square table. The red, green and yellow pigments, paired with hints of blue, pink, orange and lilac, contrast with the porcelain whites and blacks across the composition, giving the work a dynamic quality. By applying the paint in thick, energetic strokes, Derain also imbues his objects with a sense of movement, inviting viewers to experience the vibrancy of his expressive interpretation. Derain’s intentionally flattened perspective also disrupts the illusion of depth commonly found in traditional still lifes—his composition is cropped and the objects are arranged in a way that emphasizes their relationship with one another rather than their individual spatial disposition.
A few months after this work was painted, in February 1905, Matisse introduced Derain to Ambroise Vollard, the renowned art dealer that would propel his artistic career to new heights. A rare and significant work, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille contains the beginnings of all the bold qualities that would make Derain one of the most influential French painters of the early 20th century.
Christie’s is honored to present this lot on behalf of the heir of the Reichsmann family, from whom it was seized during the Second World War. Dane Reichsmann was a prosperous Jewish business owner and art collector in Zagreb, Croatia (then Yugoslavia). In 1940, Dane attended an exhibition of works from the School of Paris in Zagreb, where he purchased several paintings, including the present work by Derain, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille. The next year, on 6 April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by the Germans and divided among the Axis powers. The German forces occupied what is now Western Croatia, and Dane and his wife Frieda were deported to Auschwitz, where they were tragically murdered in 1944. Their art collection was seized by the fascist Ustaše regime and Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille was ultimately kept in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb.
Prior to the invasion of Yugoslavia, Dane’s son Franz and daughter Danica narrowly escaped Nazi persecution, emigrating to the United States and the United Kingdom respectively. After the war, Danica fought for decades to restore their family’s collection, and following her death, Franz’s son continued her efforts. In 2023, nearly eighty years later, Nature morte à la soupière et bouteille was finally returned to the family of the rightful owners.