František Kupka

Sale: Galerie Gerda Bassenge, Berlin, 30 November 1996, lot 6605
Private Collection, Germany
Sale: Christie's, London, 24 June 2004, lot 384
Purchased at the above sale

There is a 1 cm tear in the left quarter of the upper edge; a 0.5 cm long tear to the upper quarter of the left edge; and a 0.3 cm long tear left along the upper edge; otherwise this work is in 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."

Executed circa 1907-09, the present work relates to the series of three 'Lipstick' paintings that Kupka completed in 1908 when he was also at work on his series of Gigolettes (fig. 1). Both subjects capture Paris's demi-mondaine street life, and hark back more to his days spent in Montmartre when he lived next door to Aristide Bruant's famous cabaret Le Mirliton than to the domesticity of the that he was then leading with his future wife Eugenie (Nini) Straub.

Kupka had met Nini in 1904 following his split with Gabrielle (see lot 80). The wife of an Alsatian army officer, Kupka and Nini lived together before moving to Puteaux on the outskirts of Paris in 1906. There they were neighbours of Jacques and Raymond Duchamp-Villon. Kupka and Nini married in 1910. For images and cataloguing of the related 'Lipstick' oils see Ludmila Vachtova, Frank Kupka, London, 1968, p. 295, nos. 63-65; p. 298, nos. 64 & 65, illustrated.

Fig. 1, Frantisek Kupka, Lipstick II, 1908, Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011