- 36
CHARLES SHEELER | Prelude to Winter
Estimate
600,000 - 800,000 USD
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Description
- Charles Sheeler
- Prelude to Winter
- signed Sheeler- and dated 1946 (lower right); signed and dated again and titled Prelude to Winter (on the reverse)
- tempera and pencil on paperboard
- 12 by 16 1/8 inches
- (30.5 by 41 cm)
Provenance
The Downtown Gallery, New York
Senator William Benton, New York and Southport, Connecticut, by 1963 (probably acquired from the above)
Helen Boley, Madison, Wisconsin, 1973 (his daughter, by descent)
Senator William Benton, New York and Southport, Connecticut, by 1963 (probably acquired from the above)
Helen Boley, Madison, Wisconsin, 1973 (his daughter, by descent)
Exhibited
New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Contemporary American Sculpture, Watercolors & Drawings, March-April 1947
Osaka, Japan, World Exposition; Hartford, Connecticut, Wadsworth Atheneum, The Benton Collection: 20th Century American Painting, March 1970-January 1971, no. 22, p. 21, illustrated p. 23
Madison, Wisconsin, Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006-2018 (on long-term loan)
Osaka, Japan, World Exposition; Hartford, Connecticut, Wadsworth Atheneum, The Benton Collection: 20th Century American Painting, March 1970-January 1971, no. 22, p. 21, illustrated p. 23
Madison, Wisconsin, Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006-2018 (on long-term loan)
Literature
Lillian Natalie Dochterman, The Stylistic Development of the Work of Charles Sheeler, Ph.D. dissertation, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1963, n.p.
Condition
There appears to be minor frame abrasion at the extreme edges and artist's pinholes in the upper corners. There is minor staining at the extreme edges beneath the frame and a few pindots in the sky. Under UV: although some pigments fluoresce, they appear to be the artist's original work.
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
“Sheeler painted a universe whose various elements relate in perfect harmony. No storm clouds appear in his blue skies; the time of day is never certain. It is always a perfect day. No sign of deterioration is permitted, even in depiction of historical subjects; his portrayals of old barns avoid the picturesque sentimentalism inherent in such subjects; every field is green in his Arcadia. The time is now—the idealized present” (Martin Friedman, “The Art of Charles Sheeler: Americana in a Vacuum,” Charles Sheeler, Washington, D.C., 1968, p. 57)