Giorgio Morandi

Galleria del Milione, Milan
Eric Estorick, London (acquired from the above in 1960 and sold: Sotheby's, Milan, May 29, 1995, lot 49)
Private Collection (and sold: Christie's, London, October 16, 2006, lot 211)
Acquired at the above sale

London, Albemarle Gallery, Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964), 2001, no. 2
Cherasco, Palazzo Salmatoris, Giorgio Morandi, 2002

Lamberto Vitali, Morandi, catalogo generale, Opere dal 1948-1964, vol. 2, Milan, 1977, no. 1180, illustrated n.p.

Canvas is unlined and the stretcher has been taped along the edges. Surface is slightly dirty. There is a pin-dot loss at the lower left corner. There are five pinholes along the lower edge of the canvas. Canvas fibers are slightly rough in an area about two inches long around the lower right corner; this may be due to prior frame abrasion. Under UV light: there may be a small visible pindot of restoration to address the aforementioned loss. Overall the work is in very 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.
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.

Renowned for his eloquent, disciplined compositions of commonplace objects, Morandi was preoccupied with the interior reality that resides behind familiar appearances. His paintings are quietly arresting, rich in the atmospheric effects created by subtle nuances of color, tone and scale. The objects which populate his paintings hold little personal significance; rather, they are objects of meditation through which Morandi sought to resolve the composition, giving form to the artist's conception. For this reason, the theme of still-life remained central to Morandi's art throughout his career. He never tired of using the same objects, and found a challenge in rearranging them and in making slight changes to the angle of vision and lighting, thus creating numerous variations on a theme.

Natura morta, painted in 1960, demonstrates Morandi's tirelessly inventive approach. The ceramics which comprise the still-life have been chosen and arranged with great precision to achieve spatial equilibrium, and have been set against a simple background which is rendered in Morandi's typically subtle and subdued blocks of neutral color. By pursuing an aesthetic beyond the limitations of place and time, Morandi became heir to a 'classical' purist tradition of Italian painting. His powerful compositions blend a traditional genre of painting with a thoroughly modern aesthetic.