Oscar Dominguez

Private Collection, Belgium (sale: Loudmer Scp, Paris, 18th February 1990, lot 177)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Patrick Waldberg, Demeures d'hypnose, Paris, 1976, illustrated p. 336

The canvas is lined. Examination under UV light reveals spots and lines of retouching throughout, predominantly along the left and lower edges. There are lines of stable craquelure throughout and some areas of paint shrinkage in places, most prominently to the deep red pigment. There are scattered spots of paint loss, most noticeable to the red pigments as well as towards the left part of the lower edge. This work is in overall good condition.
"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."

Born in the Canary Islands, Oscar Domínguez began to paint at an early age and was known as the 'Surrealist painter of the islands'. A year after his first exhibition in Tenerife in 1933, he decided to settle in Paris and was instantly welcomed at the Café Cyrano, meeting place of the Surrealists. The artist's maverick creativity and astonishing painterly inventiveness attracted great interest, and very quickly he gained a privileged position within the group, working closely with some of the most important Surrealist artists.

Throughout his life Domínguez’s work underwent many transformations, from his early Surrealist canvases, through the experiments with decalcomania, to the stark linearity of his late works. Painted in 1948, Autorretrato (Self-Portrait) exemplifies the developments that took place within his work during and directly after the war years, when he was increasingly influenced by Picasso in particular. Both witty and fantastical in its utilisation of a giant crab as a means of self-expression, the present work challenges the viewer to see the familiar in a new and entirely unexpected way, and stands as a superb example of Domínguez’s surreal and utterly distinctive artistic language.