Fernando de Szyszlo

Galería Alfred Wild, Bogotá 
Galería Ramis Barquet, Monterrey (acquired from the above) 
Christie's, New York, 25 November 1992, Lot 96
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner 

This work is ready to hang. The canvas is unlined and well-stretched. The colors are vibrant, and the media layer is stable. Light wear is present along each of the extreme edges of the canvas. A rectangular area of fine spiderweb craquelure measuring approximately ten by two inches is present in the right central quadrant of the canvas in the field of black impasto, approximately four inches from the edge. A few additional minor fine vertical lines of craquelure measuring no more than two inches in length are present along the extreme right edge of the canvas in the field of black impasto. All of these areas are stable. A thin diagonal white scuff measuring two and one half inches in length is present in the lower right quadrant approximately two inches from the extreme edge of the canvas. Two pinpoint spots of pigment loss are present in the left central quadrant, approximately one inch from the central black figure. Under ultraviolet light examination, a varnish becomes apparent. Inpainting becomes apparent in the following areas: fine vertical lines along the extreme left and extreme lower edges of the canvas; a one-inch horizontal band in the upper left quadrant in the light orange field, three inches from the extreme upper edge; a ten-inch vertical area corresponding to the shape of the area of fine craquelure, a two-inch vertical fine line in the center right quadrant, and a few additional spots along the extreme right edge of the canvas. Unframed.
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.

"Szyszlo's world includes whatever can be embraced by the imagination, from nature to the frontiers of fantasy, where the world that appeals to the tactile sense may produce rotund images. A world that is possible within the rich imagination of those who are aware of the limits but who actually do not have any; this is where we find the roots of the entire visual universe that can come into being and that we are free to use." 
-Mario Vargas Llosa, Fernando de Szyszlo, Bogotá 1991, p. 138