Jean-Paul Riopelle

Galerie Jacques Dubourg, Paris
Acquis auprès de celle-ci par le propriétaire actuel circa 1970

Cologne, Galerie Anne Abels, Riopelle, 7 novembre - 15 décembre 1959; catalogue, n.p., no. 10

Yseult Riopelle, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Catalogue Raisonné, Tome 2 : 1954-1959, Montréal, 2004, p. 287, no. 1958.013H.1958, illustré

The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration although the overall tonality is deeper and richer in the original work. Moreover, the image does not accurately convey the thickness of the impastos and the different layers of colours. The work is executed on its original canvas and is not relined. There are stabilized, drying cracks scattered throughout the surface and some thicker cracks on the black impastos. A few paint losses located on the tips of the extremities of some impastos are visible under close inspection. One area of cracks located at the center of the left edge is visible under Ultra Violet light inspection. This work is in very good condition overall.
"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."

The English translation of this note follows the French

Notice de catalogue
Sotheby’s a l’honneur de se voir confier la vente d’une série d’œuvres appartenant à la WDR, une institution qui fait partie intégrante de l’histoire et de la tradition de la radio allemande.

La Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (WDR), située en Rhénanie-du-Nord-Westphalie, est une institution de radiodiffusion majeure qui a marqué la télévision et la radio allemande pendant des décennies. Depuis sa création en 1924, la WDR a eu pour mission de proposer des émissions radiodiffusées variées et de qualité dans un but d’éducation et de divertissement dont la plupart sont devenues des incontournables du quotidien des allemands. La WDR se distingue par la priorité qu’elle donne à l’information et la culture ainsi qu’un fort ancrage régional. La WDR est membre de l’ARD, un consortium d’institutions de radiodiffusion publiques allemand. En plus de contribuer à la production de la chaîne nationale Das Erste, la WDR gère le service télévisé régional WDR Fernsehen ainsi que six chaînes de radio régionales.

 

En renonçant à la perfectibilité de l’image, [Riopelle] a traduit l’immédiateté de ses sentiments et les a laissé se déverser avec une force et une cohérence rarement vues jusqu’alors (…) La seule chose qui importait était la rapidité, être dans la nécessité de l’action et laisser sa main munie à présent d’un couteau à palette, s’exprimer librement en aplats généreux de peinture. Le geste n’était plus alors tant une fuite en avant ou une fatalité qu’une nécessité absolue. (Cat. Exp. New York, Acquavella Galleries, Riopelle: Grand Format, New York, 2009, p. 21)

Catalogue note
Sotheby's is honoured to have been entrusted with the sale of a series of works belonging to the WDR, an institution which is so engrained in German media history and tradition.

Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (WDR), based in North Rhine-Westphalia, is one of the main public broadcasting institutions which has defined German television and radio for decades. Since its establishment in 1924, the WDR has focused on delivering a varied and high quality schedule of programmes, designed to educate and entertain; much of its output has become an iconic staple of German everyday life. A clear emphasis  on information and culture, often with specific regional reference, is particularly associated with the WDR. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD. As well as contributing to the output of the national television channel Das Erste, WDR produces the regional television service WDR Fernsehen and six regional radio networks.

By  renouncing all perfectible images, [Riopelle] translated the immediacy of his feelings, letting them pour forth with a degree of force and coherence rarely seen before. […] All that mattered was swiftness, being in the necessity of the action, and letting his hand, which now wielded a palette knife, express itself freely in generous swaths of paint. The gesture was no longer so much a fuite en avant or a question of fatality but an absolute necessity. (Exh. Cat., New York, Acquavella Galleries, Riopelle: Grand Format, New York, 2009, p. 21)