- 49
Louis le Brocquy, H.R.H.A.
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Louis le Brocquy, H.R.H.A.
- Torso, F.39
- signed l.l.: LE BROCQUY
- oil on canvas
- 30.5 by 25.5cm., 12 by 10in.
Provenance
Gimpel Fils, London, where purchased a private collector, November 1959;
Their sale, Sotheby's, 11 May 2006, lot 111;
Private collection
Their sale, Sotheby's, 11 May 2006, lot 111;
Private collection
Exhibited
London, Gimpel Fils, Louis le Brocquy, November 1959, no.30;
Reno, University of Nevada, The Collection of Esther & Robert Robles, February 1968 - May 1970, no.20, with tour to Oregon, Warrensburg, Palm Springs, Pocatello, Memphis, Omaha, Billings, Tacoma, Medford, Edmonton, Bozeman, Yakima Valley and Redlands
Reno, University of Nevada, The Collection of Esther & Robert Robles, February 1968 - May 1970, no.20, with tour to Oregon, Warrensburg, Palm Springs, Pocatello, Memphis, Omaha, Billings, Tacoma, Medford, Edmonton, Bozeman, Yakima Valley and Redlands
Condition
Original canvas; some signs of craquelure in the thicker areas of pigment otherwise appears sound.
Ultraviolet light reveals a spot of retouching near the centre of the canvas, right of the vertical grey paint.
Held in original frame under glass with linen inset.
"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
Executed in 1959, the present work was made the year after le Brocquy married the artist Anne Madden at Chartres Cathedral. During this time she was undergoing dramatic surgery on her spine and her fragile state both raised le Brocquy's awareness of the human condition and prompted him to explore ideas concerning the fundamental nature of human existence and the dichotomies of life and death, being and non-being. Torso F.39 strongly relates to one of his first explorations of this theme, Young Woman (Anne) (1957, private collection), where the female form has been reduced to a shadowy presence whose only tangible reference is her spine running along the central vertical axis of the composition.