Jean Dubuffet

The Pace Gallery, New York
Galerie Baudouin Lebon, Paris
Harriet Griffin Fine Arts Gallery, New York
Private Collection, Belgium
Sotheby's Paris, Art Contemporain, 5 June 2013, Lot 12
Acquired from the above by the present owner 

Chicago, Phyllis Kind Gallery, 1970
Caracas, Fundación Mendoza; Bogota, Museo de Arte Moderno, 1972
Wilmington, Delaware Art Museum, Dubuffet, 1974
Zug, Kunsthaus, Jean Dubuffet: Bilder, Zeichnungen und Skulpturen aus dreissig Jahren, 1983
Paris, Galerie Baudouin Lebon, Jean Dubuffet: choix d'oeuvres de 1942 à 1981, 1983
London, Waddington Galleries, Twentieth Century Works, 1989, p. 41, illustrated in colour
Paris, Galerie K, Dubuffet, 1990

Max Loreau, Catalogue des travaux de Jean Dubuffet, Fascicule XXIV, Tour aux figures, Lausanne 1973, p. 81, no. 70, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the colours are less saturated and the background is deeper in the original. Condition: This work is in good condition. There is some even discolouration throughout and light surface dirt in places. Close inspection reveals a few isolated cracks, notably one which is approximately 40cm. from the upper edge and 20cm. from the left edge of the main element. Further close inspection reveals a few pinhead sized specks of paint loss scattered in isolated places to the extreme outer edges, and a few very thin and unobtrusive scratches isolated elsewhere. Further close inspection reveals a small hole approximately 20cm. from the upper edge and 30cm. from the left edge of the main element, and a small circular chip which has been re-adhered to the lower edge of the large element towards the lower left of the composition. No further restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"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."

"Starting from a drawing, a pure creation of the mind, I expand it in space by giving it three dimensions, by giving it a material body and then enlarge it to the proportions of a site where it can evolve. In this way you can inhabit the creation of the mind."
Jean Dubuffet
Exhibition Catalogue, Jean Dubuffet, La Fiat invita all'incontro con Jean Dubuffet, Turin 1978)