Armando Reverón (1889-1954)

José Antonio Hedderich Arismendi, Caracas

Caracas, Museo de Bellas Artes, Exposición Retrospectiva de Armando Reverón, July, 1955, no. 76
Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Obras maestras de Armando Reverón, 1979, p. 59, no. 36
Caracas, Museo de Arte La Rinconada, Treinta Obras de Armando Reverón, 1983, n.n.
Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas, Reverón en Cien Años de Pintura en Venezuela, 1989, p. 118, no. 39

Alfredo Boulton, Reverón, Caracas, 1979, p. 103, illustrated in color
Juan Calzadilla, Armando Reverón, Caracas, 1979, pp. 154 and 298, no. 126, illustrated in color and black and white
Juan Carlos Palenzuela, Reverón, La Mirada Lúcida, Caracas, 2007, p. 153, illustrated in color

This oil on canvas has been mounted onto board, which is presumably the artist's original support. The canvas is very slightly delaminated in the upper left yet this is not a structural issue and should probably not be corrected. The paint layer is unvarnished, may never have been cleaned and no cleaning is advised. It seems unlikely that any paint loss has occurred. There is a patch on the edge of what appears to be a small body of water in the lower left, which has attracted a few light restorations. There is a vertical restoration in the lower center, a dot or two in the center right and upper right, and another group of dots in the upper center. These are mainly cosmetic and it appears that the picture is more or less as the artist intended. This picture should be hung as is. (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.

Paisaje de Tanaguarena, painted circa 1933, is one of  Reverón's most abstract compositions: in reality, the mountains towering above this small town on the central coast of Venezuela are covered by a thick, deep green vegetation. In the 1930s, Reverón, a faithful realist, deliberately subverted the landscape´s traditional values by suppressing nearly all color references. In this particular case, a luminous atmosphere has changed the nature of the massive land.

Reverón is a painter of traces. A few faint lines and some grating strokes suggest the contours of the mountain. The blue of the sea and sky and the white clouds cover delicately the ever present canvas.