Juan Gris

Galerie Simon, Paris
Ronald Fleming, London
Douglas Cooper, London
Hanover Gallery, London
Buchholz Gallery, New York
Mrs. John Cook, New York (and sold: Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, March 21, 1962, lot 49)
Werner E. Josten, New York
Galerie Daniel Malingue, Paris
Sale: Christie’s, New York, May 17, 1983, lot 57
Private Collection, New York (and sold: Sotheby’s, New York, May 10, 1989, lot 375)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Sète, Musée Paul Valery, Juan Gris, rimes de la forme et de la couleur, 2011

Juan Antonio Gaya Nuño, Juan Gris, Paris, 1974, no. 466, illustrated p. 224
Douglas Cooper, Juan Gris, Catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre peint, vol. II, Paris, 1977, no. 483, illustrated p. 306
Douglas Cooper, Juan Gris, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. II, San Francisco, 2014, no. 483, illustrated in color p. 741

The work has been lined with a wax-lined canvas. Extremely fine lines of stable craquelure are visible in raking light. Under UV light: a thick layer of varnish is difficult to read through, though fine strokes of inpainting are distinctly visible and scattered throughout the composition, largely corresponding with the areas of craquelure. The work is in otherwise 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.
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.

Le Livre illustrates what Gris described as his “deductive method,” in which he set out to craft a composition with abstract shapes which would, through the painterly process, slowly materialize into figurative forms. It has been written that Gris’ output was ever marked “by a refinement of calculation and a highly original colour sense which have won him his separate place in Cubism's front rank. [The artist] remained throughout his life a solitary seeker whose calm, detached sobriety of mind was reflected as an art of ascetic purity” (Juan Gris (exhibition catalogue), The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1958, n.p.). Firmly locked into place by a series of overlapping planes, the present composition features many of the iconic elements that comprise so many Cubist still lifes—the open book, bowl, knife and fruit, their stark organization a direct nod to the art of Le Corbusier and the reigning aesthetic of the rappel à l’ordre that followed World War I. The book in particular, alongside the newspaper, played a unique role in the art of the Cubists; seemingly ubiquitous, the text lends a timelessness to the hermetic composition, the limitless mystery of its meaning concealed in its abstraction.

Ronald Fleming, one of the previous owners of the present work, was one of the most sought after interior decorators of his time. In addition to designing numerous stage sets and murals, his commissions included the ballroom in the Royal Palace in Athens for King George II of Greece and interiors of Dalmeny House for the Earl of Rosebery.