María-Helena Vieira da Silva

Private Collection, USA

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, althogh the background tends more towards cream and the blue and green patches of colour are brighter and more vibrant in the original. Condition: This work is in good condition. There are isolated irregularities to the rough burlap canvas, notably one spot to the lower centre of the lower left quadrant and a further spot to the centre right of the top edge. There is consistent light wear throughout with some associated specks of paint loss that have occured overtime. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"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."

"In Vieira da Silva - reality, at first obsessive, breaks up, rids itself of its compact and heavy mass and is transposed into inverted sensory perceptions. Architecture turns into an unstable, imponderable vacillating substance. Walls are constructed with trembling iridescences. Marble borrows the nature of water and the human figure becomes ghostly. Her cities turn into mirages. These mysterious transformations begun in 1940, continue to this day. Tending to a space which is all depth and displaying a minimum of matter, these works are comparable to physical changes of solids into gasses. Da Silva eliminates the haunting vision of a big city by reducing it to the consistency of 'the stuff that dreams are made of.'"

Exhibition Brochure, Washington, D.C., The Phillips Collection, Vieira da Silva, 1961