Sean Scully

David McKee Gallery, New York
Collection of Valerie Jakober Furth, New York
Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery, Stamford

This work is in excellent condition overall. The sheet is hinged to the backing board on the reverse in multiple places. All four edges are deckled. Framed under Plexiglas. Not examined outside 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.
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.

Executed in 1987, Untitled unites cool geometric precision with an emotionally expressive element, a reconciliation that defines Sean Scully’s career. The artist’s adept use of tightly fitted inserts, literally creating works within works, imbues the drawing with the pictorial weight of a sculpture. In the manner of a relief, Scully builds up the layers of pastel with contrasting surface textures, illuminating each one in the process, and heightening the overall visual dominance of the work.

Having traveled to Morocco in 1969, Scully’s imagination was ignited by the sheer vibrancy and novelty of colors and materials. He was mesmerized by the richly-dyed wools and the opulent carpets, sights so uncommon in his home city of Dublin. Later on, during a trip to Mexico in the early 1980s, Scully became enthralled by the stacked stones of ancient Mayan walls in the Yucatan region and by the effect of the light reflecting off of their surfaces. The artist then began to produce quilt-like structures of horizontal and vertical lines, over-painted with free use of impasto to create a luxurious surface, exemplified in this work. Of a subsequent trip to Spain, and of the philosophy underlying his art, the artist has said: “I love Spain for its spiritual sense and its colour. Velázquez’ colour, his whites, blacks, pinks and his melancholy. I am not drawn to tragedy: I believe that it is always possible to overcome it and that in the end a ray of light will shine through. I try to express light, and express hope” (the artist quoted in: Exh. Cat., Barcelona, Galeria Carles Taché, Sean Scully: Immensely Human, 2003, p.12).

Scully’s words resonate against the distinct history of Untitled (1987); this pastel comes from the estate of Valerie Jakober Furth, a passionate art collector who survived the Holocaust as a teenager. Overcoming her own tragic circumstances, Furth moved to America in 1948 where she prospered as an accomplished painter and sculptor before beginning to collect in the 70s.