Lot 127
  • 127

Willem de Kooning

Estimate
300,000 - 400,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Willem de Kooning
  • Untitled
  • signed
  • oil on newsprint mounted to canvas
  • 30 1/4 by 22 1/4 in. 76.8 by 56.5 cm.
  • Executed in 1972.

Provenance

Anthony and Janet Hughes, Albany
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., New York
Irving Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach (acquired from the above in 1996)
Evelyn Amis Fine Art, Miami
Private Collection, Bal Harbor (acquired from the above)
Private Collection, Palm Beach
Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

New York, Barbara Mathes Gallery, de Kooning: Works on Paper, October - December 1993, cat. no. 41

Condition

This work is in very good condition overall. The lateral edges of the sheet are deckled. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges including some very minor partial tears at the top edge, possibly inherent to the artist’s chosen medium. The colors are bright, fresh and clean. There is a visible oil halo around the figure, inherent to the artist’s working method. Under very close inspection along the left side edge there are a few minor spots that exhibit light skinning. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, two drip accretions approximately 1-inch in diameter each fluoresce lightly on the right side of the figure but do not appear to be the result of restoration. Framed under glass.
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.

Catalogue Note

"[It] surprised me to hear how de Kooning was so interested in art history, for instance, and how much he was interested in Rembrandt, and in what way he was interested. Talked about Picasso, Picasso, Picasso. He says, 'yes...but my—I love Soutine.' And it makes perfect sense."

Wayne Thiebaud
Oral history with Wayne Thiebaud, May 17-18, 2011, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution