Lot 35
  • 35

Armando Reverón (1889-1954)

Estimate
400,000 - 600,000 USD
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Description

  • Armando Reverón
  • Paisaje de Macuto
  • signed lower right
  • 37 1/4 by 41 3/8 in.
  • (94.6 by 105 cm)
  • Painted circa 1938.
oil and tempera on burlap

Provenance

Edward "Slim" Boylan (acquired from the artist)
Alfredo Boulton , Caracas
Private Collection, Caracas

Exhibited

Caracas, Museo de Bellas Artes, Exposición Retrospectiva de Armando Reverón, July, 1955, no. 140, illustrated
Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Obras Maestras de Armando Reverón, August, 1979, p. 59, no. 38
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Palacio de Velázquez, Armando Reverón (1889-1954): Exposición Antológica, March 3-April 19, 1992, p. 165, illustrated p. 107
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Heterotopías: Medio Siglo Sin-Lugar, 1918-1968, December 12, 2000-February 27, 2001, n.n.

Literature

Alfredo Boulton, Reverón, Caracas, Macanao Ediciones, 1979, p. 105, illustrated
Alfredo Boulton, Mirar a Reverón, Caracas, Macanao Ediciones, 1990, pp. 72-73, illustrated in color

Condition

This painting is in very good condition. The canvas is unlined. The artist's unique style of painting, very dryly on to a rough canvas, seems to be in good condition. There is one structural damage in the lower right quadrant on the edge of the beach, which measures approximately one and a half inches by one inch. Elsewhere there appear to be no restorations and although Reverón has painted on a very rough piece of burlap, the discoloration which so often occurs with pictures like this does not appear to have occurred and the condition seems to be extremely good (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

Catalogue Note

As seen in the artist's recent retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York (2007), one of Reverón's favorite subject matters was painting the landscape around his hut or later his Castillete or "Little Castle" in Macuto, located in the central coast of Venezuela. Playón de Macuto epitomizes his work from the 1930s and his desire to represent the visual and atmospheric effects of light on the landscape. The artist would typically place the sea grape tree in the middle of the canvas probably as a pretext to work on the representation of light and movement which he rendered with soft and nervous touches of blues, whites and greens, perhaps suggesting the ever changing character of his subject matter. The sea grape is only visible from a certain height as the first plane is bathed with sunlight. His work is an exercise in shadows emerging from the glare. This strategy further exposes the qualities of Reverón's paradoxical use of light— instead of illuminating the subject matter, he makes it disappear. Here Cabo Blanco appears as a dark blue cape casts in the shadow of the afternoon sun, while the horizon is suggested by a short thin blue line. The coastal line and the agitated white surf are used as a subtle continuation of the line that divides earth and sky, matter and light. The lonely tree trunk on the left seems to be the only real link between the two distinct worlds. The palm trees in the background further echo the "connecting" verticality.

 

It is a true privilege to offer this magnificent example of Reverón's oeuvre. This painting belonged to American collector, Edward "Slim" Boylan, who purchased it in the early 1940s directly from the artist. The painting was first exhibited in Reverón's 1955 retrospective at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas.