Lot 367
  • 367

Jean Metzinger

Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 USD
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Description

  • Jean Metzinger
  • Jeune fille à la partition
  • Signed Metzinger (lower right)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 36 1/4 by 28 3/4 in.
  • 92 by 73 cm

Provenance

Sale: Versailles, Floralies, June 2, 1976, lot 117
Private Collection, France (and sold: Christie's, New York, May 5, 2005, lot 340)
Acquired at the above sale

Condition

This work is in beautiful condition and should be hung in its current state. The canvas is not lined. The paint layer is cleaned and unvarnished. There is no abrasion or weakness that has developed to the paint layer. There is one small retouch in the sheet of music held by the figure. There is another tiny spot of retouching on the lower left corner and a small group of retouches on the extreme edge in the upper left corner. Otherwise, the painting is in perfect condition. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

Catalogue Note

Painted circa 1927, ­­­­­­­­­Jeune fille à la partition is a fine example of the gradual purification and simplification of form that characterizes Metzinger's post-Cubist oeuvre of 1922-30. Metzinger exalted the inherent beauty of simple geometry, often emphasizing the solidity of forms through the use of bold colors as evidenced in ­­­­­­­­­Jeune fille à la partition. The background of this work is painted in pure, flat primary colors which emphatically replace the activated detail of earlier Cubist works. Meanwhile the artist's treatment of the modern woman in the foreground is dramatically volumetric yet undeniably figurative, and he directly references classical portraiture by identifying his subject with the material that surrounds her, including Cubist paintings and sheet music.