Pavel Tchelitchew

New York, Julien Levy Gallery, Metamorphisis, mai 1942
Buenos Aires, Instituto de Arte Moderno, Pavel Tchelitchew: Pinturas y Dibujos, 1925-1948, août 1949, no. 22
New York, Gallery of Modern Art, Pavel Tchelitchew, mars-avril 1964, no. 243
New York, New York Cultural Center, Three Centuries of the American Nude, mai-juillet 1975, no. 79 (exposition itinérante)
Minneapolis, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, août-septembre 1975
Houston, University of Houston Fine Art Center, octobre-novembre 1975
Katonah, Katonah Museum of Art, Pavel Tchelitchew: The Landscape of the Body, juin-septembre 1998

Instituto de Arte Moderno, Pavel Tchelitchew: Pinturas y Dibujos, 1925-1948, Buenos Aires, 1949, no. 22, reproduit p. 22
Parker Tyler, The Divine Comedy of Pavel Tchelitchew, New York, 1967, reproduit p. 145
Thane Hampton, Gay, "The Divine Comedy of Pavel Tchelitchew," 11 octobre 1971, p. 8

The canvas is not lined. There is some stable paint-shrinkage and thin craquelures in several parts of the composition partially visible in the catalogue illustration. Apart from an old supeficial retouching covering a thin hairline craquelure in the upper right quadrant, examination under UV light reveals a thick varnish which does not show any retouching. This work is in fairly good condition.
"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."

oil on canvas. Painted in 1940.

Fata Morgana est l'une des images les plus célèbres de toute l'oeuvre protéiforme de Pavel Tchelitchew. Le titre de l'œuvre renvoie au personnage de la légende du roi Arthur, Morgane, l'enchanteresse aussi voluptueuse que dangereuse, qui pouvait revêtir toutes les formes. Fata Morgana désigne également une forme de mirage observable sur une ligne d'horizon dans des conditions climatiques soumises à des brusques changements de température. Ici, Tchelitchew s'inspire du célèbre exemple de Degas qui déguisa une silhouette anthropomorphe dans un paysage (Paysage aux collines rocheuses, 1890, monotype et pastel).

 

Fata Morgana is one of the most famous images in all of Pavel Tchelitchew's mercurial oeuvre.  The title of the work alludes to a character from the legend of King Arthur, the shape-shifting temptress Morgane, who was just as attractive as she was dangerous, and who could metamorphose into any form. Fata Morgana also suggests a type of mirage which emerges on the horizon line in specific climatic conditions resulting from abrupt temperature inversion.  Here, Tchelitchew takes inspiration from the famous example by Degas in which he disguises an anthropomorphic silhouette in a landscape (Paysage aux collines rocheuses, 1890, monotype and pastel).