- 19
Pavel Tchelitchew
Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 GBP
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Description
- Pavel Tchelitchew
- Woman at the Window
- signed in Latin l.r.; bearing Museum of Modern Art loan label on the stretcher
- oil on canvas
- 92 by 67.5cm, 36 1/4 by 26 1/2 in.
Provenance
Durlacher Brothers, New York
Julien Levy Gallery, New York
George Batchelder, Beverly, Massachusetts
Thence by descent to the previous owner
Julien Levy Gallery, New York
George Batchelder, Beverly, Massachusetts
Thence by descent to the previous owner
Exhibited
Possibly New York, Julien Levy Gallery, Portraits by Pavel Tchelitchew, November 1937, no.11 as Mrs Allan Roos
Condition
Original canvas that is buckling slightly along the top right edge. There is a layer of surface dirt. There are frame abrasions along all four edges with some associated paint loss. There is craquelure in places. There is a fleck of paint loss to the black window frame below the sitter's hand. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered retouching to the sitter's face, hair, left arm and a spot in the sky above the sitter's left hand. Held in a black and gold wooden frame. Unexamined out of frame.
"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 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."
Catalogue Note
The label on the stretcher of the present lot suggests that the painting was at one point on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, although it is unclear if it was ever included in any exhibitions there. The catalogue of Tchelitchew’s 1942 retrospective at the MoMA does not list any painting that would correspond to the present lot.
The name Levy on the MoMA label almost certainly points to Julien Levy, an art dealer and the owner of Julien Levy Gallery in New York City. Levy specialised in photography and Surrealist art, and organised several Tchelitchew exhibitions in the 1930s and 1940s. Given the quality of the work it can be assumed that Tchelitchew would have included it in at least one of his exhibitions at Levy’s gallery.
The 1937 Julien Levy exhibition catalogue of portraits by Tchelitchew lists a work titled Mrs Allan Roos, which is otherwise unaccounted for in the literature on the artist. The present portrait shows a certain resemblance to photographs of Mrs Roos, and the laundry lines as the backdrop, could reference her prominent role in the fashion industry in New York.
Born Beatrice Mathieu, Mrs Roos was the first and only Paris fashion correspondent for The New Yorker magazine. She later married Dr Allan Roos, a leading Freudian analyst. The couple had an important collection of modern art, and it is known that they bought from Levy. In fact, they acquired Frida Kahlo’s My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) through him, later donating it to the MoMA.
The name Levy on the MoMA label almost certainly points to Julien Levy, an art dealer and the owner of Julien Levy Gallery in New York City. Levy specialised in photography and Surrealist art, and organised several Tchelitchew exhibitions in the 1930s and 1940s. Given the quality of the work it can be assumed that Tchelitchew would have included it in at least one of his exhibitions at Levy’s gallery.
The 1937 Julien Levy exhibition catalogue of portraits by Tchelitchew lists a work titled Mrs Allan Roos, which is otherwise unaccounted for in the literature on the artist. The present portrait shows a certain resemblance to photographs of Mrs Roos, and the laundry lines as the backdrop, could reference her prominent role in the fashion industry in New York.
Born Beatrice Mathieu, Mrs Roos was the first and only Paris fashion correspondent for The New Yorker magazine. She later married Dr Allan Roos, a leading Freudian analyst. The couple had an important collection of modern art, and it is known that they bought from Levy. In fact, they acquired Frida Kahlo’s My Grandparents, My Parents, and I (Family Tree) through him, later donating it to the MoMA.