Charles Sheeler 1883 - 1965

The Downtown Gallery, New York
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Kahn, Dallas, Texas
Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York
American Illustrators Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1992

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Annual Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture, Watercolors, and Drawings, November 1957-January 1958
Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth Art Center; Dallas, Texas, Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts, Dallas Collects, December 1959-January 1960, no. 63 (Dallas only)
Iowa City, Iowa, University of Iowa Museum of Art, The Quest of Charles Sheeler: 83 Works Honoring His 80th Year, March-April 1963, no. 75, p. 52
Dallas, Texas, Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts, Texas Collects 20th Century Art, May 1963, no. 45
Tulsa, Oklahoma, Philbrook Art Center, Texas Collects 20th Century American Art, October 1971, no. 58
Dallas, Texas, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas Private Collections, n.d.

The following condition report has been prepared by Simon Parkes Art Conservation: This canvas has been lined with wax. The lining is easily reversible and it is recommended that it be reversed in order to de-acidify the canvas. It is questionable as to whether this is a work that needs a lining at all. The work is cleaned and lightly varnished. Under ultraviolet light one can see that some frame abrasion on the center of the left edge has been retouched. Other than this, no other retouches are visible. The painting is in very good state.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Charles Sheeler visited California twice during the 1950s. In 1954, he went solely for the purpose of attending the opening of his exhibition at the Art Galleries at UCLA. On his second trip in 1956, however, he toured nothern California, primarily San Francisco and Yosemite, and found great inspiration in the iconography particular to the West Coast. While best known for his depictions of the urban and industrial architecture of the American landscape, Sheeler juxtaposes the natural with the manmade in California. The precisely defined and solidly painted geometric forms of the central structure contrast dramatically with the rolling hills that rise behind it, epitomizing Sheeler’s efforts to reduce objects to their basic underlying geometric forms without entirely abandoning representational subject matter.