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THOMAS HART BENTON | Water Story (Study for 'The History of Water')
Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Thomas Hart Benton
- Water Story (Study for 'The History of Water')
- tempera and oil on board
- image: 19 1/4 by 15 3/4 inches (48.9 by 40 cm)
- board: 20 by 18 inches (50.8 by 45.7 cm)
- Painted in 1930.
Provenance
Donald B. Stegner, New Jersey
By descent
Private collection, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1995
Private collection, Zurich, Switzerland, 2016
Acquired by the present owner from the above
By descent
Private collection, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1995
Private collection, Zurich, Switzerland, 2016
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Condition
The board, possibly Masonite, has been mounted onto another piece of board. The work appears to have a tinted varnish applied by the artist that was selectively removed, resulting in abrasion to the surface. Under UV: there are areas of inpainting throughout to address this abrasion, which are particularly noticeable in the right margin of the board outside of the image.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
The present work is a study for Thomas Hart Benton's 1930 mural The History of Water and relates closely to one of the artist's most well-known murals, America Today, 1930-31, executed for the dining room of the New School for Social Research in New York. In a deal with the institution's director, Alvin Johnson, Benton agreed to create America Today without compensation. Realizing that the artist was financially short, Johnson arranged for a paid commission with a drugstore on 14th Street in Washington, D.C.
Completed in 1930, the final mural of The History of Water was likely produced concurrently with City Activities with Subway and City Activities with Dance Hall, the last two panels from America Today. Many of the figures shown in the present work bear a relationship with those depicted in Benton's next mural project, The Arts of Life in America, which he created for the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1932.
This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Thomas Hart Benton Catalogue Raisonné Foundation. Committee Members: Dr. Henry Adams, Jessie Benton, Anthony Benton Gude, Andrew Thompson and Michael Owen.
Completed in 1930, the final mural of The History of Water was likely produced concurrently with City Activities with Subway and City Activities with Dance Hall, the last two panels from America Today. Many of the figures shown in the present work bear a relationship with those depicted in Benton's next mural project, The Arts of Life in America, which he created for the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1932.
This work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné being prepared by the Thomas Hart Benton Catalogue Raisonné Foundation. Committee Members: Dr. Henry Adams, Jessie Benton, Anthony Benton Gude, Andrew Thompson and Michael Owen.