Provenance
1Monsieur Martinet Paris Consigned by the artist for sale at FF 1.000, Robaut no. 1332.
2Jean-Baptiste Faure Paris • by 1875–1878 Exposition de l'œuvre de Corot, Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris 1875, no. 33; Catalogue de tableaux modernes composant la collection de M. Faure […], Durand-Ruel, Paris (29 April 1878), no. 19.
3Alfred Robaut Paris • 1891–1907 Robaut no. 1332; Catalogue de tableaux par Corot […] etc. composant la collection de M. Alfred Robaut […], Hôtel Drouot, Paris (18 December 1907), no. 3.
4Durand-Ruel Paris • 1907 Acquired at the above sale, handwritten label on the back of the picture frame.
5Bernheim-Jeune Paris Handwritten label on the back of the picture frame; Julius Meier-Graefe, Corot, Berlin 1930, fig. 99.
6Moïse Lévi de Benzion Cairo & Draveil • Seine-et-Oise • ca. 1920 until [d.] 1943 Probably acquired from the above in 1920, handwritten label on the back of the picture frame.
7Confiscated by the «Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg» (ERR no. LB 58), and taken over on behalf of Hermann Göring by Walter Andreas Hofer 12 July 1941 Nancy H. Yeide, Beyond the Dreams of Avarice, The Hermann Goering Collection, Dallas 2009, no. D13.
8Traded to Galerie Fischer in exchange for works of art Lucerne • 22 October 1941 Yeide, as above, n. (6); Esther Tisa Francini etc., Fluchtgut, Raubgut, Der Transfer von Kulturgütern in und über die Schweiz 1933–1945 und die Frage der Restitution, Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz–Zweiter Weltkrieg (ed.), Zurich 2001, pp. 106 (n. 267), 286 (n. *1).
9Purchased by Emil Bührle Zurich • 3 February 1942 Purchased from Galerie Fischer for CHF 65.000, AStEGB, Letter from Emil Bührle to his lawyer, Dr. Walther Huber, Zurich, 14 May 1947, appointing Huber as his proxy for the trial Lévi de Benzion (heirs) vs. Bührle. The figure corresponds to the amount which Bührle later claimed from Fischer in his lawsuit against the latter, and whilst Fischer refused to acknowledge obligation for reimbursement in principle, the figures as such where never questioned. Therefore, these figures defined the amounts which Fischer had to pay back to Bührle after the Federal Court came to the conclusion that Bührle had acquired the paintings in good faith, AStEGB, Swiss Federal Court, Kammer zur Beurteilung von Raubgutklagen / Chambre des actions en revendication de biens spoliés, Lausanne, Verdict of 5 July 1951 (typescript).
10Restituted to the estate of Moïse Lévi de Benzion15 December 1948 AStEGB, Swiss Federal Court, Kammer zur Beurteilung von Raubutklagen / Chambre des actions en revendication de biens spoliés, Lausanne, Request for restitution of artworks by the heirs of Moïse Lévi de Benzion, represented by Mrs. Paule-Dinah Lévi de Benzion, vs. various defendants (including Bührle), Verdict of 15 December 1948 (typescript), ordering the restitution of the claimed paintings, including Corot, Moine lisant.
11The estate of Moïse Lévi de Benzion Cairo 1948–1950 AStEGB, Act of sale between Sarah Streitz-Lévi de Benzion and Emil Bührle regarding Corot Moine lisant, Lausanne, 3 July 1950, stating that the distribution of the estate had been resolved by the Tribunal Hasby, Cairo, 21 May 1950.
12Sarah Streitz, née Lévi de Benzion Valbonne • Alpes Maritimes • 1950 Daughter of Moïse Levi de Benzion, Act of sale as above, n. (11).
13Repurchased from Sarah Streitz by Emil Bührle Zurich • 3 July 1950 with Bührle until [d.] 28 November 1956 Acquired from the above for CHF 60.000, Act of sale as above, n. (11). the price paid was CHF 60.000, based upon an appraisal by Max Huggler [Director of the Kunstmuseum Bern], who had been appointed, with Bührle's approval, as expert by the Lévi de Benzion heirs, AStEGB, Letter from Secretary of Emil Bührle to Dr. Walther Huber, Zurich, 27 November 1948.
14Given by the heirs of Emil Bührle to the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection Zurich 1960 Inv. 21.
AStEGB = Archive of the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich
Alfred Robaut, L’œuvre de Corot, Catalogue raisonné et illustré, 5 vol., Paris, 1905.
Exhibitions
1875Exposition de l'œuvre de Corot Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts • Paris • 1875 no. 33.
1950Europäische Kunst 13.–20. Jahrhundert aus Zürcher Sammlungen Kunsthaus Zurich • 1950 p. 24.
1954Werke der französischen Malerei und Grafik des 19. Jahrhunderts aus Privat- und Museumsbesitz Museum Folkwang (Villa Hügel) • Essen • 1954 no. 13.
1958Sammlung Emil G. Bührle, Festschrift zu Ehren von Emil G. Bührle zur Eröffnung des Kunsthaus-Neubaus und Katalog der Sammlung Emil G. Bührle Kunsthaus Zurich • 1958 no. 121.
1958Hauptwerke der Sammlung Emil Georg Bührle–Zürich Haus der Kunst • Munich • 1958–59 no. 28.
1961Masterpieces of French Painting from the Bührle Collection Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh • National Gallery, London • 1961 no. 3.
2005Corot, Naturaleza, Emoción, Recuerdo Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza • Madrid • 2005 no. 56
2005Corot, Natura, emozione, ricordo Palazzo dei Diamanti • Ferrara • 2005–06 no. 52.
2010Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet, Die Sammlung Bührle zu Gast im Kunsthaus Zürich Kunsthaus Zurich • 2010 no. 21.
2010Corot en Suisse Musées d'art et d'histoire (Musée Rath) • Geneva • 2010–11 no. 85.
2018Corot, Le peintre et ses modèles • Corot, The Painter and his Models Musée Marmottan Monet • Paris • 2018 no.31
References
1904Emil Heilbut «Figurenbilder von Corot» in Kunst und Künstler (3) • 1904/05 • S. 102.
1905Alfred Robaut L’Œuvre de Corot, Catalogue raisonné et illustré Paris • 1905 • vol. 3 Catalogue des peintures, Deuxième partie no. 1332 (ill.; 21965).
1905Étienne Moreau-Nélaton Histoire de Corot et de ses œuvres Paris • 1905 • P. 271, fig. 197.
1924Étienne Moreau-Nélaton Corot raconté par lui-même Paris • 1924 • vol. 2 • p. 36, fig. 214.
1930Julius Meier-Graefe Corot Berlin • 1930 • fig. 99.
1930Claude Bernheim de Villers Corot, Peintre de figures Paris • 1930 • no. 193 (ill.; also erroneously illustrated with no. 138).
1948Hermann Uhde-Bernays Corot Berne • 1948 • fig. 26.
1973Leopold Reidemeister etc. Stiftung Sammlung Emil G. Bührle • Fondation Collection Emil G. Bührle • Foundation Emil G. Bührle Collection Zurich & Munich • 1973 • no. 9 (ill.; 21986).
1994Emil Maurer Stiftung Sammlung E.G. Bührle, Zürich Bern • 1994 • p. 36 (English edition: Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich, Bern 1995).
1996Corot, 1796–1875 (exh. cat.) • Grand Palais Paris etc. • 1996–97 • p. 304 (ill.).
1996Vincent Pomarède Corot Milan & Paris • 1996 • pp. 197–198 (ill.).
1998Thomas Buomberger Raubkunst, Kunstraub Zurich • 1998 • p. 456.
1998Matthias Frehner «Deutsche Raubkunst in der Schweiz, Täter, Verführte, Aufarbeitung» in Das Geschäft mit der Raubkunst, Fakten, Thesen, Hintergründe Zurich • 1998 • p. 142 (no. 1).
2001Esther Tisa Francini etc. Fluchtgut, Raubgut, Der Transfer von Kulturgütern in und über die Schweiz 1933–1945 und die Frage der Restitution Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz–Zweiter Weltkrieg (ed.) • Zurich 2001 • pp. 106 (n. 267), 286 (n. *1), 509.
2003Garrett Stewart «Painted Readers, Narrative Regress» in Narrative (11) • 2003 • fig. 23.
2005Lukas Gloor, Marco Goldin (ed.) Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection, Zurich, Catalogue vol. 2 • Conegliano & Zurich • 2005 • no. 38 (ill.; German edition: Stiftung Sammlung E.G. Bührle, Katalog • Italian edition: Fondazione Collezione E.G. Bührle, Catalogo).
2009Nancy H. Yeide Beyond the Dreams of Avarice, The Hermann Goering Collection Dallas • 2009 • no. D13 (ill.).
2009Gabriel Katzenstein «Et in Arcadia lego, Über die Literalität der Mélancolie sur l'herbe von Camille Corot» in Die Lesende Frau Wolfenbüttel • 2009 • p. 322, n. 5.
2011The Secret Armoire, Corot's Figure Paintings and the World of Reading (exh. cat.) • Sammlung Oskar Reinhart «Am Römerholz» • Winterthur • 2011 • no. 16 (ill.; German edition: L'armoire secrète, Eine Lesende im Kontext;not exhibited).
2012Kerstin Thomas «Corot und die Ästhetik der Rêverie» in Camille Corot, Natur und Traum (exh. cat.) • Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe • 2012–13 • p. 372, fig. 7.
2021Lukas Gloor «The Holdings of the Emil Bührle Collection: Illustrated List of All 633 Purchases» in The Emil Bührle Collection: History, Full Catalogue and 70 Masterpieces Swiss Institute for Art Research, Zurich (ed.) • Munich • 2021 • no. 180 (ill.).