Mubin Orhon

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 1963

Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is very minor wear on the extreme corners. There is very light paint drying craquelure on centre top. Colour: The catalogue illustration is accurate, the original work is more vibrant and fluorescent than the catalogue image.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Untitled is a striking work by Mubin from his Hommage à Delacroix Series. It was painted in 1963, a notably important year in his artistic career.

The artists Nasser Assar, Gianni Bertini, Ronaldo de Juan, Mariano Hernandez, Asger Jorn, Bengt Lindstrom, Batt Mihailovitch, Antonio Saura, Gerard Schneider, Yasse Tabuchi and Mubin were invited by the art critic Raoul-Jean Moulin to present a new work to be exhibited at a group show at Galeri 7 to commemorate the bicentennial of Eugene Delacroix's death (1799-1863). This invitation was the starting point of Mubin's Hommage à Delacroix Series, which became a collection of thirty canvases and forty paper works.

This remarkable series holds a unique place in Mubin's oeuvre, since he rejected all pre-established theories and refused to develop one even for his own work. The defining element of this period was colour, which developed almost in its own accord during the creation of the painting. Constructed from his repertoire of dynamic forms, the compositions from this series brought to mind picturesque landscapes, called Bild Landschaften. Mubin would introduce movement and a monochromatic palette into his artistic language, while exploring the equilibrium between balance and imbalance, stability and instability. The facetted pattern formed by the coloured segments and luminous tonalities also evoke the sense of a hidden light through which the canvas seems to glow from within.

The rhythmic structure of the works from Hommage à Delacroix Series give an impression of depth and intensity; with this quality and the colour palettes, the paintings are often reminiscent of Sam Francis' works from the late 1950s. Mubin and Sam Francis were friends and met regularly in different cafés in Saint-Germain-des Prés (Necmi Sonmez in conversation with Ferit Edgu, Istanbul, 2000). However, we do not know if he ever visited Francis' studio in Rue Tiphaine in Paris (Ann Goldstein cited in: Exhibition Catalogue, Bonn, Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Biographie Sam Francis, 1993, pp. 403-406), which is not far from Mubin's in Impasse du Rouet, where he painted all of the Hommage à Delacroix Series.

Mubin's early 1960s works can be considered to be his main oeuvre, since it is these that mark the development of his signature style. His earlier works were defined by his unsettled life resulting in interruptions to his work flow; hence, they should be interpreted as stages of development in this great artist's career.

With Hommage à Delacroix Series, Mubin abandoned what he saw as the limited scope of abstraction and carried his forms to a new dimension. Large format canvases brought him the freedom to produce complex compositions which filled the room like music, creating a sense of motion.          

This catalogue note was written by Dr. Necmi Sonmez, an independent curator and art historian. He is the author of two catalogues on Mübin Orhon (Exhibition Catalogue, Istanbul, Yapi Kredi Kultur Merkezi, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, 1996 and Necmi Sonmez, Mubin Orhon, Istanbul 2001).