Marvin Cone

Mary and Earle Ludgin Collection
Acquired as a gift from the above by the present owner, 1982

New York, The National Academy, 115th Exhibition, 1941
The Art Institute of Chicago, The Fifty-Second Annual Exhibition of American Painting and Sculpture, 1942
Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Permanent Collection:  The Mary and Earle Ludgin Collection, January-March, 1983
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Centennial Exhibition, 1990-1991

Canvas is lined. SURFACE: in good condition UNDER ULTRA VIOLET: a small, vertical repaint at lower right (just above doorknob), about 1 inch long; scattered strokes of inpainting along lower edge and, perhaps, along left side of upper edge
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 late 1930s were a turning point for Cone.  He decided to take a year’s sabbatical from his teaching duties as a professor at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, a “year of freedom” in his words, to devote more time to painting.  Until that point, Cone was best known for his regional landscapes, subtle and superbly drafted images of the rolling hills and verdant valleys of the Midwest, always infused with his deeply personal vision of nature and its universality.  Now, he focused on figural character studies and interior landscapes, or “room paintings”, as a means to express his inner feelings about life’s mysteries, anxieties and human nature.  A confirmed realist, Cone relied on clearly identifiable images to explore these abstract concepts.  The muted color palette, clean, linear forms and shadows with doors open to nowhere in the present work are hallmarks of this style.  In the artist’s words, “Art, such as poetry, music and painting, is simply a portion of the experience of the artist.  When we actually see ideals, they become real to us.  Art traces abstraction and makes it audible or visual.  It symbolizes the whole of life.  We believe in something we can see.” (Joseph S. Czestochowski, Marvin D. Cone:  An American Tradition, New York, 1985, p. 6)