Ángel Zárraga (1886-1946)

Estate of the artist
Thence by descent
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Latin American Art, November 20, 2001, lot 13, illustrated in color
Acquired from the above 

Ismael Hernández Deras, et al., Ángel Zárraga: Primer Realista Mexicano del Siglo XX, Durango, 2006, p. 31, illustrated in color 

The canvas has been re-stretched onto a new stretcher but is unlined. The paint layer is stable, although there are some fairly strong cracks in the left side of the female figure's chest and waist. These cracks have been retouched. Under ultraviolet light, it can be seen that there are also a couple of spots in the left sky, three spots in the forehead of the man, and a few isolated spots in the dress of the woman. The work should be hung in its current state. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

Angel Zárraga arrived in Europe shortly before the outbreak of World War I. His Parisian studio became an epicenter of artistic interchange and innovation—artists and intellectuals such as Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Louise Chardoné, André Salmon, Roger de la Fresnaye and the poet Guillaume Apollinaire would regularly gather here to both paint and have lively debates and discussions. The onset of World War I, however, would make life in the French capital difficult for the artistic community here; living without heat during the winter, Zárraga contracted a pulmonary illness that forced him to not only live in quarantine but also diminished the momentum of his rhythmic mode of painting. Jeannette Ivanoff, a Russian-born soccer player and gymnast whom Zárraga met during his frequent visits to soccer matches as part of his artistic investigations of the human figure and movement, would nurse him back to health. In 1919, Zárraga and Jeannette would marry. She would become the model and muse for his most vivid and sensual paintings and drawings. 
-Zárraga, Mexico City, 1997, p. 28-29