Sohrab Sepehri

Private Collection, Tehran 
Private Collection, New York (acquired from the above in the 1970s)
Mike Deming Antiques, New York (acquired directly from the above in the 2000s) 
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2015

Condition: This work is in good condition. Some signs of abrasion to the lower left section of the painting, close to the edge. Some signs of colour fading around the tree trunks, most probably inherent to the artist's creative process. UV: Upon inspection with the UV light, some sign of restoration to the upper right corner of the painting. Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are accurate, with the overall tonality being lighter in the original 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."

Sohrab Sepehri started out by dividing his creative output between his two major talents: poetry and art. Curiously enough, only during the mature phase of his life did he become better known as a poet than a painter. Despite his own dream to succeed as a poet, his early years brought him greater acclaim and success as a painter. A rising artist was more likely to come to public attention than a rising poet in the Iran of the 50s and 60s where poets competed in its rich and long tradition, yet modern artists were fewer. Sepehri therefore chose the latter route, even though his talent in poetry was considerable. However he worked hard at both, only devoting himself full-time to art after his father's death and his Paris trip.

Born in 1927 to a literature-loving family in Kashan, he performed well at school and won awards throughout his education and training. He graduated in 1953 from Tehran University's Fine Arts faculty with honours and by the end of that decade, had participated in a number of Biennals: the first and second in Tehran (winning first prize), then Venice in 1958. He learned lithography in Paris and undertook extensive travels to the East and Far East - learning wood-engraving in Japan, and going to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. He died in Tehran in 1979.

A reclusive, humble, solitary figure, Sepehri rarely gave interviews; it was as if he only spoke through his extensive body of poetic and artistic works. He was known for his passionate love of nature, but especially of the desert around his native Kashan. His work testifies to a repeated desire to return to the solace of its colours and inspiration. The Zen-like ambiance of his Tree series, while undoubtedly influenced by what he had seen and learned in Japan, relate to the same spirituality and meditativeness of the desert. As a child he was known to love birds, animals, flowers, nature, outdoors - all the themes he brings into his paintings, as though with repetition he gives them life. He never painted people but to him humanity is a part of nature, not separate from it. His compositions, deceptively simple and effortless, are the result of a highly sophisticated selective eye which had become adept at reducing any depiction to its most essential elements. At work, he was often known to squint while painting, as if to blur and reduce his field of vision. The clarity and translucence of some of his gouaches, or the dilution of an overlaying coat of paint, are all techniques which require great skill and experience. His technique often involved rapid brushstrokes on a wet canvas, using earth-tone colours - the colours of his beloved desert - burnt ochre, shades of brown, grey, yellow, interspersed with a sudden dash of bright red or other primary colour in contrast. His 'negative spaces' stem from the same Zen-like meditation on canvas; using the whole canvas as an unlimited space which he could exceed, what he did not include was an significant as what is present.  This is especially true in the Tree series, where the rhythm of the trees and their reference to a thick forest beyond the canvas is highly effective next to the silence of an empty foreground. Simplicity of composition and reduction of detail to its most meaningful denominator can only be achieved by a master. These are characteristics of Sepehri's work at its best - an artist who persisted at his craft, and whose phases of output left us with some enduring masterpieces, now rivalling Western modern masters in terms of value on the international art market.

An artist who brought together east and west, timelessness and universality through his semi-abstract creations, Sepehri's appeal lies in his lack of contrivance. His signatures, in fine 'nastaliq' show his deeply Persian roots, yet the indelible influences of Japan, or even Mondrian during his geometric phase, enriched his creativity. He invites scrutiny, asking the viewer to be drawn in; he believes in the absoluteness of colour: red is red, even at night.  There is no directional light in his painting as he wants us to see light as part of the essence of his composition. Of the seven series in his body of work - landscapes, geometrics, cubes, stones, trees and tree trunks, apples, flowers and still lifes, this particular work [title/date] is considered a fine example of his Abstract series. It records a moment in the artist's perception (as with most of his scenes), and shares in an intimate way what he most appreciated. The linear relationships, juxtaposition of colours and composition makes this a superb work showing the artist's ability to go beyond the decorative aesthetic and attain a symbolic and dream-like realm.