Marcel Janco

Goldman-Kraft Gallery, Ltd., Chicago

The surface is in good condition. There are a few minor specks of paint loss. No retouching is apparent when viewed under ultra violet light. The colors are fresh and vibrant. This work was recently cleaned.
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.

Romanian born Marcel Janco arrived to Eretz Israel in 1940 and was soon recognized for his avant-garde approach to painting. Gideon Ofrat likens him to a trail blazer, noting that his prestige and intellectual attitude to painting had an important effect on the local artists and the critics. (One Hundred Years of Art in Israel, Colorado, 1998, p.149)

This early work exemplifies Marcel Janco's discourse with the achievements of Cubism as seen in still-lives. The artist packs together a wealth of visual information onto the canvas, flattening the images and creating illusionary space. The objects, including a bowl of fruit, a bunch of grapes and a wine bottle are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form.  While discussing a similar work, Sorin Heller observes "the viewer moves among the objects and their parts, among the various layers, up and down across the painting's surface, up and down into the painting, yet remains inside the picture plane." (Ninety Years of Israeli Art, A Selection from the Joseph Hackmey – Israel Phoenix Collection, Tel Aviv, 1998, p. 234)