Mario Carreño (1913-1999)

Felipe Castañeda Collection, Caracas
Private Collection, Coral Gables

This work is still on its original stretcher. The reverse of the canvas is in good condition, and the inscription is clearly visible. Carreno’s technique uses different textures and colors throughout the work. The uneven paint layer within the white color applied in four of the sections shows cracks and small unpainted areas. These unpainted areas do not seem to be losses. Under ultraviolet light, the white color reads very strongly in particular. While there could be restorations beneath this very fluorescent finish, there is no reason to re-examine these if they do exist. In the pale section beneath the semi-circle in the upper left, there is a diagonal mark under ultraviolet light that may correspond to restoration. However, under ultraviolet light, one can see numerous marks of what are presumably retouches in the upper left and throughout the right side of this particular color. These restorations seem to diminish the orange color. These retouches therefore may be cosmetic in nature. Nonetheless, the work can be hung in its current state. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

"Mario Carreño: intellectual painter, progressive, subtle and imaginative, addresses the spectator capable of appreciation for this type of beauty, achieving to express his creative will, thus establishing a lofty dialogue. Poets will find metaphors to translate his works into words, art critics will underline his contribution, confirming my testimony--that Mario Carreño is among the greatest Cuban painters identified with contemporary pictorial art." (1)

Sandu Darie, 1957

(1) Carreño 1950-1957, El mundo nuevo de los cuadros de Carreño, Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Palacio de Bellas Artes, La Habana, 1957