Femme devant le lac

Netter is a legendary name within the Montparnasse legend. With their roots in the east of France, the Netters, an industrial family applied to their occupation as art patrons the same rigor for talent-spotting upon which their financial success was founded. This skill in selecting works for their collection allowed them to leave an indelible mark on the history of patronage within the period. This is particularly true of their pursuits during the inter war period, where their focus would be on the École de Paris, as testified by the remarkable exhibition held at the Pinacothèque de Paris in 2012. The Jonas Netter collection comprised an impressive selection of works, assembled by this enigmatic figure, whose name remained known only to a few close confidants. The exhibition unveiled several paintings never before seen by the public, such as works by André Derain, Moïse Kisling, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaïm Soutine, Maurice Utrillo, and Maurice de Vlaminck. Regrettably, history’s tribulations prevented the collection from staying intact. Fortunately, however, a few, including works by André Derain, Emile-Othon Frieze and Celso Lager were preserved by Jonas Netter’s heirs and are now presented here at Christie's for the first time.