Tom Wesselmann

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Private collection, London
Sale: Sotheby's London, Contemporary Art Part II, 27 June 1997, lot 244
Collection Stanley J. Seeger, Surrey
Sale: Sotheby's New York, The Eye of a Collector - Works from the Collection of Stanley J. Seeger, 9 May 2001, lot 71
Collection Jacques Grange, Paris

The work is executed on its original canvas and is not relined. Under close inspection, the white background is slightly dirty along the edges. There are two stretchers marks visible near the upper and lower edge. Under UV light there is no evidence of any restoration. This work is in good condition.
"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."

"Part of the visual drama of these works lies in the reduction colour schemes of whites and hot red, sometimes interrupted by a glimpse of pink tongue or wisps of blonde hair crossing the mouth's corner."

in Sam Hunter, Tom Wesselmann, Rizzoli, 1994, p. 25.

With Mouth Study for Minneapolis Catalogue, Cover, Tom Wesselmann imposes "his mouth", just as Warhol does with Marylin, as a major icon of the 1960s. Originally in the ex-collection of Stanley Seeger, Mouth Study for Minneapolis Catalogue Cover shows a pair of half-closed, bright red lips contrasting starkly with perfect dazzling white teeth that are worthy of a Hollywood star. Even if Wesselmann never associated himself with any art school or movement, his Mouth series, like his Smokers series that he began in 1967, is conclusively pop. Up to the 1970s the artist developed works that focused on American life, creating a singular set of images with a fascinating use of close ups to capture fragments of sensuality in paint of an intensity and eroticism that clash with the simplicity of the compositions and illustrate the artist's obsession with majestic and explicit forms.