Lot 57
  • 57

Reuven Rubin

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
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Description

  • Reuven Rubin
  • Night Rider in the Desert
  • signed Rubin and again in Hebrew (lower right); signed Rubin, titled Night Rider, dated 1966 and inscribed Made in Israel (on the stretcher)
  • oil on canvas
  • 29 by 36 in.
  • 73.7 by 91.4 cm
  • Painted in 1965.

Provenance

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Pollock, New York
Private Collection, Montreal (acquired from the above in 1976)

Exhibited

West Palm Beach, Norton Gallery and School of Art, Rubin Exhibition, 1967, no. 14

Literature

Sarah Wilkinson, Reuven Rubin, New York, 1980, no. 68, illustrated on pg. 105

Condition

Oil on canvas, canvas is not lined. Surface of the painting is clean and in very good condition. Canvas weave visible in spots, though appears to be the intention of the artist through use of palette knife. UNDER UV: No apparent signs of inpainting.
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.

Catalogue Note

A departure from his traditional depictions of religious figures, landscapes, and still lives in realistic hues, the present work is the product of a dramatic shift in Rubin's choice of subject matter and color palette. Completed in the mid 1960s, this painting was executed at the peak of his interest in the interpretation and depiction of galloping horses. "Toward the end of the fifties Rubin began to be much occupied with horses running in the desert as a subject for painting. He says he was inspired by his visits to the Negev. . . He would watch from afar the Bedouin horsemen galloping across the wastes where once Abraham sojourned and where Hagar had wandered with Ishmael, and to him the distant riders would take on the appearance of Biblical figures. . . He was fascinated by the mysterious atmosphere of the desert, and in several canvases there is a strong element of fantasy. The paintings become poetic symphonies of color, imbued with an atmosphere of mysticism; unlike most of Rubin's work, they are not tranquil in spirit but filled with turbulence. . . He uses color arbitrarily; the horses are in blues, while the background, with a huge moon, is in greens." (Sarah Wilkinson, Reuven Rubin, New York, 1980, pg. 90-91)