Vente New York, Sotheby's, 3 novembre 1999, lot 38

Galerie Brame et Lorenceau, Paris 

Collection particulière européenne 

Vente Londres, Sotheby’s, 30 mai 2008, lot 350 

Galerie Jean-François Heim, Paris

Acquis auprès de cette dernière par l'actuel propriétaire le 13 mars 2009

Collection Louis Grandchamp des Raux

Paris, Galerie Jean-François Heim, Selection of master drawings and paintings from XVIIIth century to XXth century, 2009, p.70, reproduit en couleur p.71

A man of many talents - musician, writer, actor and painter - Jean-François Raffaëlli enjoyed success in his own lifetime, recognition from the public and acclaim from official bodies.

In 1892 he left his home in Asnières to live in the 17^th arrondissement. The painter of the suburbs became the painter of Paris, depicting the city’s most famous monuments: Notre-Dame, the Invalides, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Place Saint-Michel and the Champs-Elysées. He endeavoured to depict the busy boulevards, its modern architecture and the crowds in movement. He painted numerous views of the capital, including Le Port Saint-Nicolas, reflecting his growing interest in city life. Notre-Dame, a recurring theme in his oeuvre, here appears in the background as it does in another painting in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Notre-Dame Vue du Quai de la Tournelle (1), whereas the foreground of the composition shows the life along the quay, like a snapshot of the capital: a mother and child out for a stroll, bargemen at work, a carriage moving along and a small stray dog, a familiar subject in Parisian views. For this bustling scene, the artist gives us the everyday reality of turn-of-the-century Paris, without idealising it, yet bathed in a joyful light.

He may have been looking to satisfy the wealthy American tourists who could afford the luxury of this type of souvenir of Paris. In 1894-1895, Rafaëlli decides to travel to New York for a weeklong stay to assist at the opening of an exhibition of his works at the American Art Association of New York. He would end up staying there for five months, during which time he toured the country, discovering a world he found fascinating.

1.      Jean-François Raffaëlli, Notre-Dame vue du quai de la Tournelle, oil on canvas, 65 x 81.2 cm, n° 1953.649