Nicolas de Stael

Douglas Cooper Collection, Argilliers
Gene Drayfus, Paris
The Redfern Gallery Ltd., London
Ronald Shaw Kennedy, London
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1967

Jacques Duburg & Françoise de Staël, Nicolas de Staël, Catalogue Raisonné des Peintures, Paris, 1968, no. 750, p. 311, illustrated

This work is in very good condition. There is a faint wear to the corners edges presumably from handling. There is evidence of minor cracking along the extreme edges, particularly by the pull margins of the stretcher. There is no evidence of restoration visible under ultra-violet inspection. Framed in a gilt wood frame.
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.

"I don't want to be systematically either too close or too far from the subject -neither one nor the other...I lose contact with the canvas at each instant, find it again, lose it again...this is necessary because I believe in the adventitious; I can only proceed from incident to incident. As soon as I sense too much logic I become irritated and swing naturally over to the illogical."

LETTER TO DOUGAS COOPER, JANUARY 1955.