Eva Hesse

Estate of the Artist
Knoedler Gallery, New York
Paul F. Walter, New York
Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc., New York, April 9, 1975, lot 5
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, American Drawings 1963 - 1973, May - July 1973, p. 58
Kassel, Documenta 6: Handzeichnungen, Utopisches Design, Bücher, June - October 1977, no. 8, p. 40
Oberlin College, Allen Memorial Art Museum; The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago; Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum; New York University, The Grey Art Gallery and Study Center; The Baltimore Museum of Art, Eva Hesse: A Retrospective of the Drawings, April 1982 - April 1983, cat. no. 91, p. 94, illustrated
New Haven, Yale University Art Gallery; Washington, D.C., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Eva Hesse: A Retrospective, April 1992 - January 1993, p. 201, illustrated in color
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Wiesbaden Museum, Eva Hesse, February - October 2002, cat. no. 101, pl. 103, p. 263, illustrated in color

Lucy R. Lippard, Eva Hesse, New York, 1976, pl. 203, p. 159, illustrated
Griselda Pollock and Vanessa Corby, eds., Encountering Eva Hesse, Munich, 2006, pl. 22, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. The edges of the sheet are deckled and the sheet exhibits a slight undulation inherent to the artist's working method. There is a faint ¾ inch square discoloration located at the bottom left and right corners which appears to be the result of the hinge adhesive on the reverse. There are a few scattered spot accretions, two at the extreme upper left corner and one along the bottom edge 4 1/2 inches from the right edge. There is evidence of light wear and handling to the sheet. The sheet is hinged verso to the matte at the four corners. Framed under Plexiglas.
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 July of 1969, Eva Hesse sought refuge from the inconceivable diagnosis and subsequent invasive surgery for the malignant brain tumor with which she was diagnosed in April of that year.  She found a sanctuary to heal and work in the placid town of Woodstock with dear friend, confidant and renowned author, Gioia Timpanelli. 

During the period that marked a time for emotional and physical recovery, she found solace and resolve in her works on paper, known as the "window" or "woodstock" drawings. These poetic efforts are tangibly biographical and emotive. The drawings appear to be a cathartic elegy to her art and to her vision and are a visual testament to the legacy of the artistic accomplishments which are among the singular achievements of 20^th Century Art.  Ms. Timpanelli poignantly describes them as such, "The Woodstock drawings are absolutely the Kitchen sink. They had in them everything in the cabin. When she'd begin, she'd move freely. There were times when she'd worked on more than one at a time. Sometimes, there were six or eight of them on the floor. They were hung on the walls; they had to get harder and harder. Their beginnings were incredible – highly colored, complex, intricate. They started in a very familiar place but she knew they were going somewhere else. She crayoned on them, used colored pencils for incisions, scratches. She used some of the liquitex and caseins I was using. Some of them had a real paint quality and that bothered her. She'd break that surface with pencil lines," (Gioia Timpanelli,1969 in Lucy Lippard, Eva Hesse. New York 1976, p. 157).