Matta (1911-2002)

Galleria La Medusa, Rome
Claudio Bruni Sakraischik, Rome
Sale: Christie's, New York, Latin American Art, November 21, 2000, lot 37, illustrated in color
Private Collection, New York

Rome, Galleria dell'Oca, Matta: Opere dal 1939 al 1975, 1976, no. 21, p. 138, illustrated

This painting is in remarkable condition for a work of this scale. The canvas is well-stretched. There are no structural damages to the canvas or paint layer. The work has never been cleaned, varnished or retouched. It seems that the canvas was originally stretched on a slightly less wide stretcher, and old tack holes down the right and left are apparent. These are unrestored and could be filled and retouched. The only area where paint losses interfere with the composition as a whole is in the center right side, where a very thin line of paint losses runs about 6 inches horizontally into the composition. There is a rough line of small losses in the lower right corner that may not be original and could also be retouched, but there is no question that this work is in unusually good condition. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

"In 1949 Matta went to live in Rome where he stayed until the spring of 1955, moving then to Paris. It seems as if in coming into contact with simple, open and spontaneous people Matta rediscovered the beauty of the world. In a long series of canvasses, executed contemporaneously with the machine pictures, he depicts an organic world at dawn, a kingdom in ecstatic bloom: strenuous shoots, dazzling pistils and humming bumble-bees, all in gorgeous colours. ‘Couvrir la terre d’une rosée nouvelle’ (1953) and ‘Let All Flowers Bloom’ (1955) are characteristic titles."

Ingemar Gustafson

MATTA, 15 Forms of Doubting, Moderna Museet Stockholm, 1959, p.30