Samuel Wood Gaylor

By descent in the family of the artist to his son
Purchased from the above by the present owner

Surface in good condition Under ultraviolet light: scattered spots fluoresce, including dark blacks in center stage background. Verso: a small patch at lower right verso.
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.

While his social realist contemporaries presented the sober, grim aspects of the World War I era and the Great Depression, Samuel Wood Gaylor, artist, architectural draftsman and author, depicted the lighter side of life.  Filled with wit and charm, his paintings showcase the great parties, circuses, ballets, holidays and parades that he and his artist friends organized and attended.  His closest friends were the luminaries of the avant-garde art scene and his first exhibition as a painter was at the 1913 Armory Show.  Edith Halpert held one-man shows of his work at her prestigious Downtown Gallery and he held responsible positions in the several art societies of his time, among them the Penguin Club founded by his close friend Walt Kuhn in 1917.  The present painting depicts one of the club's storied annual soirees, the Arts Ball of 1918.
This work is offered together with a copy of Art in America, November, 1963 edition, in which a prominent article, Wood Gaylor: Diary of the Carefree Years, profiles the artist.