Richard Mortensen

Original canvas. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, and apart from some small areas of craquelure to the surface, the work is in very good condition and ready to hang. Held in a simple, gold-painted 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. 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."

Like many of the leading Danish painters of his generation, during the 1930s Mortensen was associated with the Surrealist-inspired magazine Linien. He became its co-editor in 1934, and met André Breton, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti and Yves Tanguy in Paris in 1937. During the 1940s Mortensen worked alongside Asger Jorn (lots 227 and 230) and Egill Jacobsen (lot 226) in the development of a proto-CoBrA expressionistic style. Thereafter, however, he did not contribute to CoBrA, preferring instead to move to Paris where he joined the group of abstract constructivist artists centred round the Galerie Denise René, including Jean Arp, Serge Poliakoff and Victor Vasarely. As his work matured his compositions contained large, clearly delineated areas of saturated colour.  In 1950 Mortensen organised a large Kandinsky retrospective that toured Scandinavia.