Morris Louis

André Emmerich Gallery, Inc., New York
International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, Lake Forest (acquired from the above in 1964)
Sotheby's, New York, 5 May 1994, Lot 133A
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

Terre Haute, The Sheldon Swope Art Gallery, Contemporary Art from the Collection of International Minerals and Chemical Corporation, September - October 1983, cat. no. 22, p. 8, illustrated in color

Diane Upright, Morris Louis: The Complete Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné, New York 1985, cat. no. 559, p. 183, illustrated in color

This work is in good condition overall. The colors are bright and fresh. The edges of the canvas are taped. Under very close inspection two pinpoint accretions are visible along the top edge and several brown pinpoint accretions are visible along the left unpainted edge. Also under close inspection and under raking light, a slight discoloration is visible to the lower right unpainted area of the canvas extending approximately 6- inches up from the bottom and a discoloration to an area above center in the unpainted area approximately 6 inches in height. Under Ultraviolet inspection, the aforementioned discolorations fluoresce darkly and have benefitted from light retouching. Also under Ultraviolet inspection, scattered pinpoint spot and drip accretions are scattered along the unpainted left edge and in the lower half of the painted areas and fluoresce, and three larger drip accretions— two in the bottom in the red painted area and one below center in the green—fluoresce lightly. 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.

"Abandoning Cubism with a completeness for which there was no precedent...[Louis] began to feel, think and conceive almost exclusively in terms of open color. The revelation he received became an Impressionist revelation, and before he so much as caught a glimpse of anything by Still, Newman, or Rothko, he had aligned his art with theirs. His revulsion against Cubism was a revulsion against the sculptural. Cubism meant shapes, and shapes meant armatures of light and dark. Color meant areas and zones, and the interpenetration of these, which could be achieved better by variations of hue than by variations of value."

Clement Greenberg, "Louis and Noland," Art International, Vol. IV/5, 25 May 1960, p. 28