Pavel Tchelitchev

Lincoln Kirstein, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection (gifted from the above)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Very good condition; not laid down; corner holders (with corners inserted) affixed to board; sheet very slightly dirty overall
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.

The landscape surrounding the artist's studio in Weston, Connecticut provided him with the inspiration for some of his best-know works.  Tchelitchev became fascinated with the woods, particularly by individual leaves. "Satiny, leathery, or like work silk--foliage of beech, maple, oak and black birch...He saw these leaves as mantles, hats and skirts of leaf-children, who, with spears of wheat, battled in the wind.  The leaves blow trumpets, the children wrestle and triumph; their heads become blossoms; they nestle in Queen Anne's Lace and in strawberry leaves" (Lincoln Kirstein, Pavel Tchelitchew, New York, 1964, p. 38). The following year, these leaf children developed into an idea about the game hide-and-seek. The fully realized oil, Hide and Seek (Cache-Cache), in the Collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, is widely recognized as Tchelitchev's greatest painting.