Lot 30
  • 30

Robert Frank

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description

  • Robert Frank
  • 'MOTORAMA, LOS ANGELES'
  • Signed in ink in the margin; and with the Robert Frank Archive stamp, with title and notations in pencil, on the reverse
  • Gelatin silver print
  • 8 x 12 inches
signed in ink in the margin, the photographer's 'Robert Frank Archive' stamp, with title and annotations in pencil, on the reverse, framed, 1956, possibly printed in the 1960s

Provenance

Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York, 2006

Literature

The Americans: Photographs by Robert Frank (New York, 1986), p. 31

Sarah Greenough, Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans (Washington, D. C.: National Gallery of Art, 2009), pp. 222 and 463, Contact Sheet 11

'Robert Frank,' Du, January 1962, unpaginated

Robert Frank (Aperture, 1976), p. 79

Condition

This somewhat warm-toned print is on heavy paper with a surface sheen. It is in generally excellent condition. The signature is faded and is only slightly visible. The lower margin corner tips are missing the upper paper ply. This does not affect the image. When examined in raking light, a soft, crescent-shaped handling crease is visible in the left center portion of the print. The somewhat dark appearance of the margins suggests that Frank may have 'flashed' the paper before printing the image. This involved exposing the paper to light very briefly, to impart a very slight level of base tonality. On the reverse, there are two small remnants of rice paper tape from a prior hinging. The Robert Frank Archive stamp on the reverse is annotated 'Americans 11,' 'Motorama - Los Angeles,' and '90' in pencil. In addition, at the lower edge on the reverse are 'BR' and a gallery inventory number 'PF77531 (new 96618).' The dating of this print is based on its appearance--its warm tonality and the use of heavy paper with a surface sheen.
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.