La table sous la tonnelle by Henri Le Sidaner

Henri Le Sidaner
1862-1939 | French

La table sous la tonnelle
(The Table under the Arbor)

Signed "Le Sidaner" (lower right)
Oil on canvas

A master of Post-Impressionism, Henri Le Sidaner found acclaim for his dreamlike domestic scenes, particularly those bathed in the soft glow of twilight. His tabletop settings, often illuminated by luminous lanterns, are especially celebrated. The artist's mastery is exemplified in this work, entitled La table sous la tonnelle (The Table under the Arbor), a grand-scale work that showcases his signature style in all its glory. 

A leading figure in Intimism—a movement focused on the intense exploration of interiors and domesticity—Le Sidaner perfectly captures the essence of this movement in works like this one. The central table is colorfully set for a meal on a balcony, overlooking a peaceful countryside bathed in soft light that contrasts with the ethereal glow of the lanterns. An empty chair pulled back beckons the viewer to join this tranquil scene, inviting them into a world of domestic harmony.

Le Sidaner's captivating scenes stand out for their deliberate lack of figures, a unique approach among his peers. Unlike Impressionists and Post-Impressionists who focused on capturing fleeting moments through observation, Le Sidaner worked from memory. This allowed him to render the essence and emotional experience of a place, imbuing his mesmerizing works such as this one with a dreamlike quality. 

Throughout his career, Le Sidaner enjoyed considerable success, exhibiting alongside important Post-Impressionists including Henri Martin and Paul Signac. His early Parisian years and a significant stay in the Netherlands around the turn of the century fostered his appreciation for Symbolism, evident in the enigmatic quality of this painting. His evocative scenes from Gerberoy like this one, painted during his mature career, exemplify his virtuosic approach and remain highly sought after by collectors. This painting is among the most striking and seductive works of the artist's oeuvre and comes to market for the first time in thirty years.

Le Sidaner was born in 1862 in Port Louis, Mauritius, and his artistic career began at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel, but found himself disenchanted with the academy. Le Sidaner relocated to the Étaples artist colony in 1885, where he discovered Impressionism and the plein air paintings of Monet. Eventually, he would go on to incorporate influences from Post-Impressionism, Pointillism and Symbolism into his masterful works, developing a unique vision that defies categorization. 

In 1930, Le Sidaner was honored with a Professorship at the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and in 1937 he was named its President. He died in 1939 in Versailles, France, at the age of 76. Today, his works are held in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Tate in London, Musée d'Arts de Nantes in Nantes and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Painted 1932

Canvas: 43" high x 37 1/8" wide (109.22 x 94.3 cm)
Frame: 53 3/4" high x 47 3/4" wide x 2 1/2" deep (136.53 x 121.29 x 6.35 cm)

View the Dossier

Provenance:
London Antiques, Westmount, Quebec
Watson Art Galleries, Montreal, acquired from the above in 1954
Mr. and Mrs. F.D.K. Rooney, Westmount, Quebec, acquired from the above in June 1956
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, acquired from the above in 1960
Commonwealth Petroleum Services, Calgary, acquired from the above in 1966
Sale, Christie's New York, 11 May 1989, lot 302
Sale, Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris, 30 March 1990, lot 39
Richard Green, London
Private Collection, Europe
Sale, Sotheby's New York, 9 November 1994, lot 155, consigned by the above
Private Collection, acquired at the above sale
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Literature:
Yann Farinaux, Le Sidaner, L'Oeuvre Peint et Gravé, Paris, 1989, no. 718, p. 262, illustrated

Exhibited:
Paris, Galerie Charpentier, Le Sidaner, 1934
Pittsburgh, 1937 International Exhibition of Paintings, Carnegie Institute, 1937, no. 210
Paris, Musée Galliéra, Rétrospective Le Sidaner, 1948, no. 105
Brussels, Galerie de l’Art Belge and Glasgow Museum, Rétrospective Le Sidaner, 1951, no. 2
Paris, Grand Palais, Biennale Internationale des Antiquaires, 1988