Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

Inter Artes et Naturam [Between Art and Nature]

1890

Category:

European and American Painting, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts

This allegory on the theme of art and nature is a preparatory study for the large mural decoration finished in 1891 for the Musée des beaux-art in Rouen, France. In an idealized landscape overlooking that city, men, women and children study nature and architecture, draw and make ceramics.

Marks and labels

Maison Chapuis stamp on stretcher

Douane centrale Paris stamp on stretcher and canvas

Durand-Ruel: D 16193 P. de Chavannes “Les bienfaits de la paix”

Provenance

by 1935/06/07 – still in 1945/11/13
Georges Bernheim, Paris, France [1]

by 1951/12/29 – 1955/05/18
Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, UK [2]

1955/05/18 –
National Gallery of Canada, purchased from Arthur Tooth & Sons [3]

Notes

[1] On June 7, 1935, the painting was in the auction “Tableaux modernes provenant de la Collection Geoges Bernheim“ at Galerie Jean Charpentier in Paris and remained unsold [lot 75, as Inter Artes et Naturam]. According to Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel, Bernheim consigned the painting with Durand-Ruel on April 24, 1939. The work received the deposit no.16193 (see label on the verso) and was shipped to Durand-Ruel, New York. On May 25, 1939 it entered the Durand-Ruel New York books as deposit no. 9452. On February 17, 1942, Durand-Ruel consigned the work to Jacques Seligmann & Co., New York [email from Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel, Paris, to A. Kausch, NGC Provenance Research Project, Sept.19, 2008]. In late 1945, Seligmann shipped the painting back to France together with other works on consignment from Bernheim [letter from Germain Selignman to Georges Bernheim, dated November 13, 1945, Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, Box 014, “Georges Bernheim 1936-46”, Archives of American Art, Washington D.C.]. According to Paul-Louis Durand-Ruel The Benefits of Peace was never owned, puchased or sold by his gallery. He could not confirm Aimee Brown Price's claim that the work was acquired from the artist by Durand-Ruel on August 14, 1894 [“Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.” Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 1994, cat. no. 129].

[2]The painting was included in an exhibition at Tooth & Sons in 1951 [“Recent Acquisitions VI.” Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, November 26–December 29, 1951]. The exhibition catalogue erroneously lists Bernheim-Jeune as former owner [letter from Guy-Patrice Dauberville, direcor of Bernheim-Jeune to A. Kausch, NGC Provenance Research Project, April 23, 2008]. Georges Bernheim was the cousin of Gaston and Josse Benheim-Jeune.

[3] Accession records [NGC curatorial file]