Lot 144
  • 144

David Bomberg

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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Description

  • David Bomberg
  • Portrait of Dinora
  • oil on canvas
  • 61 by 51cm.; 24 by 20in.
  • Executed in 1952.

Provenance

Sale, Sotheby's London, 24th November 1993, lot 115, where acquired by David Bowie

Condition

Original canvas. The canvas is sound. The are a few scattered fine lines of craquelure, most noticeable towards the centre of the left edge and the centre of the right edge. There is a tiny frame abrasion three quarters of the way down the extreme left edge. There are traces of surface dirt and studio detritus as well as a couple of tiny instances of flattening to the raised impasto, only visible upon very close inspection. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals areas of fluorescence which appear in keeping with the artist's materials, and do not suggest retouching. The work is held within a simple black painted frame with a moulded rebate. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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

'The thing that I knew was that one's teachers were going to be silly fools and that one was going to rebel against them. I went to Bomberg's class where he said to me, 'Oh so you think I'm a silly old idiot don't you?' or something like that, and in my...arrogance, 'Yes I do'. He was delighted and I didn't realise that I had met with probably the most original, stubborn, radical intelligence that was to be found in art schools'

(Frank Auerbach, quoted in Richard Cork, David Bomberg, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1994, p.258).