Painted in 1895, "Les toits rouges" captures a rooftop panorama in Valtat's characteristically vivid watercolour, rendered with pencil underdrawing on paper laid on cardboard. The small yet commanding format, measuring approximately 24.5 by 32.5 centimetres, concentrates an almost electric warmth into its terracotta tones, with the clustered rooflines dissolving into loose, gestural washes that anticipate the chromatic liberation of Fauvism by a full decade. Valtat was working at this period in close proximity to Renoir and would soon draw the admiration of Matisse, and this intimate work demonstrates precisely why: the handling is assured, spontaneous, and deeply felt. The exhibition history of "Les toits rouges" speaks to its sustained critical recognition. The work appeared at the landmark 1956 retrospective held at the musée Galliéra in Paris, and again in the comprehensive 1995 retrospective at the musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, where it was illustrated in the accompanying catalogue. These two exhibitions, spanning nearly forty years, have consistently placed the work within the scholarly narrative of Valtat's development as a colourist bridging Post-Impressionism and early twentieth-century modernism. Provenance traces cleanly through the collection of René Domergue in Paris, followed by its acquisition at the Baron Ribeyre & Associés sale at Drouot Montaigne in June 2007, after which it entered a private Marseille collection. The work is signed by the artist and is offered unframed, presenting an appealing opportunity for a collector to situate it within a considered display context. Given its documented history and the rarity of Valtat's early works in this medium appearing on the market, the piece represents a meaningful acquisition for anyone focused on the origins of French modernist colour.