Robert Delaunay

Sonia Delaunay, Paris
Galerie Louis Carré, Paris (acquired by 1946 and until at least 1959)
Galerie Beyeler, Basel
Sale: Sotheby's, London, December 1, 1982, lot 45
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 27, 1989, lot 27)
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
Acquired from the above in 1993

New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, The Early Delaunay, 1948-49, no. 2 (titled Nature morte, Néo Impressioniste)
Bern, Kunsthalle, Ausstellung Robert Delaunay, 1951, no. 3 (titled Nature morte, Néo Impressioniste)
Leverkusen, Städtisches Museum Morsbroich & Mannheim, Kunsthalle, Robert Delaunay, 1956, no. 11
Berlin, Schloss Charlottenburg & Schaffhausen, Museum zu Allerheiligen, Triumph der Farbe: Die Fauves, 1959, no. 74

Robert Delaunay, Du Cubisme à l'art abstrait, Les Cahiers inédits, suivis d'un catalogue de l'oeuvre par Guy Habasque, Paris, 1957, no. 32
Gustav Vriesen & Max Imdahl, Robert Delaunay: Light & Color, New York, 1967, illustrated fig. 46

This work is in very good condition. The canvas is not line although remnants of an old lining are visible on the verso. The surface is richly textured and the pigments are bright and fresh. Some small losses visible in the strokes of thickest impasto. Under UV light: several horizontal lines of inpainting at upper right and lower right as well as some scattered small spots in the leftmost glove to address losses incurred during the drying process. The center of the composition evidences no retouching.
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.

This vibrantly colorful still life is the largest and most lavishly detailed from Delaunay's Neo-Impressionist period. The picture dates from 1906 or 1907, when the stylization of Delaunay's compositions was heavily indebted to the influence of Henri-Edmond Cross, whose solo exhibition in Paris he likely saw in 1905. Delaunay appreciated Cross's unorthodox color palette and the distinct patches of color that gave shape to his compositions. Taking this technique a step further in his own work, Delaunay applied his medium in large, rectangular blocks that resembled stones of a mosaic. Other examples of this technique from 1906 are Portrait du Henri Carlier and Paysage au vaches, both in the collection of the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Nature morte aux gants also demonstrates the influence of the Fauves. Delaunay had freed his palette from the colors of the natural world, and in this picture his color choices are largely a mode of unmitigated expression rather than a vehicle for naturalistic representation. In his monograph on the artist, Gustav Vriesen observes that "the short blunt Neo-impressionist line no longer determines the structure but serves instead to decorate the picture in accordance with a new feeling for ornament." Discussing the present composition, he continues: "Thus, in Still Life with Gloves, the ornamental design of the rug is 'stitched' across the entire picture surface. A persian faience vase adds further to the Oriental atmosphere" (Gustave Vriesen, op. cit., p. 20).