Willem de Kooning

Betty Parsons Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York
Collection of Harold Diamond, New York
Allan Stone Gallery, New York (acquired from the above in 1962)
Collection of Aaron Furman, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1965

New York, Allan Stone Gallery, De Kooning/Newman, October - November 1962, illustrated 
Detroit, J.L. Hudson Gallery, Willem de Kooning: Three Decades of Painting, March - April 1968
New York, Allan Stone Gallery, Liquefying Cubism, October 1994 - January 1995, pl. 7, illustrated in color

Gabriella Drudi, Willem de Kooning, Milan 1972, cat. no. 3, illustrated
William C. Seitz, Abstract Expressionist Painting in America, Cambridge 1983, cat. no. 2 

This work is in good condition overall. There is evidence of wear and handling along the edges of the board including several scuffs, media accretions from the time of execution, staining from a previous top mat, a 1½-inch repaired tear to the board on the lateral right edge approximately 6-inches from the top right corner and a 1½-inch repaired tear to the board along the lower edge, all of which are obscured by the top mat and do not intrude into the image. Under very close inspection, the image is lightly soiled and there are several drying cracks scattered throughout, particularly in the white form in the upper right corner. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, a few pinpoint spots in the white form fluoresce and may have benefited from light retouching. Framed.
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.

"Certainly Cubism with its rigid sculptural grid and carefully delineated volumetric forms was the most influential art idea of the early 20th century. By liquefying Cubism, de Kooning brought Cubism into the age of space-flight, jet-travel and electronic communication. Indeed, de Kooning created such dynamism in his work that one feels that the painting is continually moving and that to look away from it is to miss some of the happening."

Allan Stone in Exh. Cat., New York, Allan Stone Gallery, Liquefying Cubism, 1994, pp. II-III