Armando Reverón (1889-1954)

Gift of the artist to the previous owner
Thence by descent to the present owner

Condition report: The paper is laid down to an heavy weight pulp board. The paper is in two parts. The artist added a strip on the right to extend the sheet on that side. There are multiple tears, abrasions and small paper losses throughout. The paper is heavily oxidized. There are areas of paper where it hasn't had contact with the board that are lighter in color. Treatment proposal: The paper will need to be removed from the board. After removal the paper will be evaluated for strength to see if it can be cleaned. It will be cleaned if possible. The tears will be mended with Japanese paper and the abrasions will be strengthened on the verso. Inserts will be installed to replace small paper losses. Minimal touch up work will be done to blend pigment losses at the tears and abrasions. The paper may need to be lined with Japanese paper for support. (The condition report and treatment proposal have been provided courtesy of Mary Kearns Paper Conservation.)
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.

In 1945, Reverón began a new phase in his work by leaving landscapes behind and dedicating himself to drawings of pencil, charcoal, crayon, and pastel on paper or cardboard that explored the human figure via his homemade cloth dolls, or textile sculptures as some experts have named them.

The dolls became part of Reverón's environment in a realm where the line between the real and the imaginary blurred, giving his dolls names like the Gypsy Princess, Lola, the Empress, Isabel and Josephina. These dolls were charged with an eroticism not seen by his human subjects from other periods. For Reverón it was much easier to work with the dolls than with human models, because, as he said, the naked bodies of women disturbed him, while the dolls never tired and could be placed as he pleased.

In this recently rediscovered work, Reverón places his models, an old man, a young woman and a young boy, in a scene he will repeat in other works with some variations such as Anciano, Tres Mujeres y Niño, 1948.  Some experts believe that the figure of the old man represents an alter ego of Reverón and the younger figure that of the artist as a young boy.

(see  Ana Gradowska y Luis Enrique Perez-Oramas, "Adquisición reciente", [Anciano, Tres Mujeres y Niño" Macuto, Fundación Museo Armando Reverón, 1995).