Robert Cottingham

Forum 57 Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1997

This work is in very good condition overall. The canvas is unlined. There is evidence of minor wear along the bottom edge. There is a minor surface scuff at the lower middle. Under close inspection, there are a few faint scattered surface scratches and a very minor unobtrusive pinpoint loss to the pigment at the lower right. 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.

Sotheby’s is honored to offer property from the Estate of Thomas J. Perkins this spring.  Mr. Perkins is remembered as one of Silicon Valley’s legendary pioneers, with a career spanning many decades.  He is best-known as the cofounder, in 1972, of the venture capital business Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers which created or financed some of the most innovative businesses in the world including Genentech, AOL, Amazon and Google. Mr. Perkins was also an avid sailor and sportsman, noted as the designer and former owner of the then-world’s largest privately owned sailing yacht, the Maltese Falcon. It was the first fully automated square rigger and was on the cover of over twenty magazines. Mr. Perkins wrote two books as well, publishing in 2006 the satirical novel Sex and Single Zillionaire and in 2008 an autobiography, Valley Boy: The Education of Tom Perkins.  During the 70’s and 80’s Mr. Perkins found time to acquire European and American paintings, furniture and decorations, collecting with his wife Gerd Perkins, to fill their expansive, sophisticated residences in England and the Bay Area.  A further selection of works from the collection will be offered this June in the Sotheby’s Collections: European Decorative Arts sale.  It was in more recent years that Mr. Perkins turned to the acquisition of Contemporary Art. The sequence of works on offer here, lots 96 - 101, as well as a selection of works appearing in the March Contemporary Art Online Sale, filled his glamorous downtown San Francisco Penthouse where he frequently entertained Bay Area luminaries and friends.