Raqib Shaw

Victoria Miro Gallery, London
Private Collection, London
Sale: Sotheby's, London, Contemporary Art, 28 February 2008, Lot 306
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Colours: The colours of the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the illustration fails to fully convey the sparkling quality of the gemstones and glitter and the metallic quality of the paint apparent in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. . No restoration is apparent under ultra-violet 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."

Untitled (Garden of Earthly  Delights) is a magnificent example of Raqib Shaw’s fantastical and magical world: a remarkable kingdom of the imagination peopled by mythical beings and extraordinary creatures. Jewel-like in its vibrant colours and enamelling technique – inspired by cloisonné – the current lot forms part of Shaw’s seminal Garden of Earthly Delights series, influenced by Hieronymous Bosch’s fifteenth century painting of the same name. Shaw also draws on sources from the eastern cultures of India, as well as China and Japan, brilliantly employing designs and patterns recalling Oriental carpets, Persian miniatures and Jamevar shawls. Themes of utopia or paradise and extreme pleasure are central to Shaw's work: woven within the rich and seductive surface of Untitled (Garden of Earthly Delights), a unique fantasy is being played out, masked by the obsessive detail and ornate texture, whilst a sense of joyful hedonism hovers within the bacchanalian attitudes and activities of the painting’s inhabitants. Throughout, there is a tension between abstraction and description, an undetermined narrative that inexorably demands the viewer’s close engagement. Shaw's Untitled (Garden of Earthly Delights) is a truly astonishing contemporary reinterpretation of a classic and timeless theme, capturing the quest of paradise in the most surreal and divine way.