Victor Gabriel Gilbert Marché aux fleurs

Victor Gabriel Gilbert
French
1847 - 1935
Marché aux fleurs

signed Victor Gilbert (lower left)
oil on canvas
canvas: 25¾ by 21½ in.; 65.4 by 54.6 cm
framed: 35½ by 31 in.; 90.1 by 78.7 cm

Victor Gilbert was celebrated as the foremost painter of Parisian marchés during the final decades of the 19th century, when daily markets proliferated throughout the French capital to satisfy the growing upper and middle classes.

Born in Paris in 1847, Gilbert's natural ability as an artist was recognized early on, but his family lacked the financial resources to send him to the École des Beaux-Arts. Instead, Gilbert apprenticed with Eugene Adam as an artisan painter and decorator before formally studying with Pierre Levasseur at the École de la ville de Paris.

Condition Report:
The canvas is unlined. The paint surface is stable and in good condition. There is a small area of loss above the standing woman's head probably due to a damage, which is stable but visible on the verso. Minor frame abrasion to edges. Under UV light, scattered spots of retouching along the right edge, above the foreground seated woman's back; opaque varnish fluoresces green.

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note:
We would like to thank Noé Willer for kindly confirming the authenticity of this work, which will be included in his forthcoming Victor Gabriel Gilbert catalogue raisonné.