Lot 15
  • 15

Ignacio Zuloaga

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description

  • Ignacio Zuloaga
  • Mademoiselle Souty
  • signed and dated I. Zuloaga 1915 lower right
  • oil on canvas
  • 190 by 120cm., 74¾ by 47¼in.

Provenance

Carlos Beistegui, Paris (collector Carlos Beistegui, 1863-1953, was a close friend of the artist. He acquired a number of his paintings, including several depicting Mademoiselle Marcelle Souty. Zuloaga also portrayed Beistegui himself on at least seven occasions. Beistegui's collection of 18th and 19th Century paintings was donated to the Musée du Louvre)
Galeria Barbié, Barcelona
Purchased from the above by the present owner in 1980

Exhibited

Boston, The Copley Society (and travelling), Exhibition of Paintings by Ignacio Zuloaga Under the Auspices of Mrs. Philip M. Lydig, 1916-1918, no. 11
Aragón, Instituto Aragonés de la Mujer, Imágenes de mujer en la plástica española del siglo XX, Zaragoza, 2003, illustrated in the catalogue

Literature

The World Magazine, 11 January 1917
Enrique Lafuente Ferrari, The Life and Work of Ignacio Zuloaga, Barcelona, 1991,  p. 512, no 399, catalogued

Condition

The canvas has not been lined and is securely attached to keyed wooden stretcher. There is a faint, horizontal stretcher bar mark visible in the lower half of the composition, and a fine pattern of craquelure is visible in the her right arm and in her coulottes - however, these are not particularly visually distracting. There are some scattered spots of paint flaking, including some spots in the upper left corner and at the bottom of the figure's coulottes (also visible in the catalogue illustration), all of which could benefit from some consolidation. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals a thick layer of residual varnish which makes the surface quite difficult to read. Scattered retouchings which appear to be addressing areas of old paint loss are also visible, notably: - some areas in the upper left corner; - some spots in the lower half of the coulottes; - one small area in the left arm. This work is in overall good condition. Presented in a simple gilt frame. Colours are somewhat deeper and darker than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Painted in Paris in 1915, Marcelle Souty's coquettish pose in the present work shows off her gamin good looks to the full. Sporting a brooch bow-tie and elegantly attired in a white blouse, black jacket and raffish full length cullottes, behind her is one of Zuloaga's distinctive tapestries, a recurring studio prop that adds texture and depth to the studio sitting.

Zuloaga was introduced to Marcelle Souty by his friend the painter Jean-Gabriel Domergue, for whom she also modelled. Attracted to her distinctive, sophisticated elegance she became one of Zuloaga's favourite models from 1914 until the early 1920s. In his catalogue raisonné Ferrari records at least five large scale finished portraits of her, the present work plus one of her standing dressed as a torero, one reclining clothed, one sitting holding a carnation, one dressed in black, and one reclining nude (see Ferrari, nos. 386, 400 426, 427 & 476).