HENRI LE SIDANER (1862-1939)

By the turn of the century, Le Sidaner found himself increasingly dissatisfied with urban Parisian life, and sought to find a more rural setting for his life and studio where he could design his own residence and gardens. Though these gardens and terraces of his home and surrounding village dominated the artist's creative output, it also inspired one of his preferred subjects of the 1920s, the decadently arranged tablescape. Characterized by a keen attention to the subtle interplay between light, shade and color, Le Sidaner’s compositions are carefully constructed to convey a sense of serenity and tranquility.
At the beginning of 1927, he painted a series of eight canvases, La Table, based on eight different color harmonies which were exhibited with Galerie Georges Petit later that year. The exhibition was a great success, the artistic director of a leading art newspaper wrote of the group, and of the present lot specifically, "I gave Le Sidaner, at the beginning of this article, the title he so well deserves, as a painter of silence. I could also have called him the painter of evocations, so much is his talent suggestive of distant reveries and overflowing with unforeseen revelations… Finally, L’Harmonie Grise, with its strange flowers, its scattered necklaces and jewels, its eurhythmy of minor tones and its vaporous tonality, is like a reflection of feminine charm and mystery" (M. Fueillet, "Henri Le Sidaner, Peintre du silence," Le Gaulois Artistique, Paris, 13 November 1927). The paintings from the Harmonie series possess an air of refinement and exhibit the great deal of care with which the objects have been selected and arranged. The present lot is a tonal poem, characterized by a harmonious palette of subtle blues, purples and greys. The glossy highlights of the pearls, echo the pigments of the floral arrangement. The lacey, deckled tablecloth vibrates against the wallpaper’s similarly hued pattern. And finally, the bright white highlights on the silver teapot resound off the highlights of the crystal vase and stemware.