ATTRIBUTED TO MAC ROBBER (TRISTAN TZARA'S ALTER EGO); FORMERLY ATTRIBUTED TO FRANCIS PICABIA | Source des Evangiles / Calculs et documents

Tristan Tzara, Paris
Christophe Tzara, Paris (by 1963-89)
Sale: Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Importante partie de la Bibliothèque de Tristan Tzara, March 4, 1989, lot 324
Acquired at the above sale by Dr. Arthur Brandt

Zurich, Kunsthaus Zurich; New York, Museum of Modern Art, Dadaglobe Reconstructed, 2016, illustrated in the catalogue p. 111

Executed on the verso of an imitation card for a Francis Picabia exhibition, hinged to the backing board in two places along the upper edge and floating in the mount. The ink has slightly faded, mostly to the text along the lower edge. Otherwise, this work is in overall very good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

While this work has in the past been attributed to Francis Picabia, it is more likely to have been executed by Tristan Tzara, under the guise of his alter-ego Max Robber. Shown at the Dadaglobe Reconstructed exhibition, the present work is presented in the catalogue with the following note : "Source des Evangiles bears close similarities to Picabia's Sainte Vierge and bears a typical Picabiaesque title. The identification of this work as by "Mac Robber" (Tzara's alter-ego) on Tzara's list suggests that Tzara, rather than Picabia, may have been the artist and, if so, that is was a playful imitation of Picabia's work of this period."