- 208
Rufino Tamayo
Estimate
600,000 - 800,000 USD
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Description
- Rufino Tamayo
- Dos figuras
- signed and dated O-75
- oil and sand on canvas
- 51 1/4 by 77 in. 130.2 by 195.5 cm.
Provenance
Private Collection, London (acquired directly from the artist)
Sotheby's, New York, 2 May 1990, Lot 54
Private Collection, Italy (acquired from the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2003
Sotheby's, New York, 2 May 1990, Lot 54
Private Collection, Italy (acquired from the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2003
Literature
Octavio Paz and Jacques Lassaigne, Rufino Tamayo, New York 1982, no. 217, p. 240, illustrated in color
Judith Alanís and Sofía Urrutia, Rufino Tamayo, Una Cronología/1899-1987, Mexico City 1987, p. 60, illustrated
Judith Alanís and Sofía Urrutia, Rufino Tamayo, Una Cronología/1899-1987, Mexico City 1987, p. 60, illustrated
Condition
This work is in original condition. The canvas is still well-stretched on its original stretcher. There is a slight wave in the canvas in the lower left. There are no reinforcements on the reverse. All of the peculiarities to the paint layer are typical for the artist. A small loss and area of active instability are present in the lower right edge and some losses on the extreme edges. The work can 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.
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
An exceptional painting from Tamayo’s late period, Dos figuras portrays the central tenets of the artist’s oeuvre through texture and color. In the center of the work, two silhouettes hold hands almost ceremoniously, recalling Fraternidad (“Fraternity”), the mural Tamayo painted for the United Nations in 1968. The work radiates joyously with deep shades of pink, purple, and magenta, emanating its atmospheric quality field with textural patterns. This technique is an iteration of other textural experiments with coarse media such as sand, something he pursued often and particularly after meeting Jean Dubuffet in Paris. Despite the many art forms gaining popularity during the Postwar years Tamayo spent in the US and France, he never abandoned figural representation. During the artist’s mature period, he synthesized his figures into archaic shapes defined by their outlines, evolving from the detailed and more intense figures of his Post-World War II style. In simplifying his figures he renders them universal, something Tamayo favored throughout his career, forever nodding to his fascination with Pre-Columbian art.
Dos figuras embodies the geometric flatness and rich earthy colors characteristic of Aztec and Zapotec pottery as well as Mexican folklore. The painting is a testament to Tamayo’s mastery of color, something which would inspire future color field painters like Helen Frankenthaler, who was a student of his while teaching at the Dalton School in New York.
We wish to thank Juan Carlos Pereda for his kind assistance in the cataloguing of this work.
Dos figuras embodies the geometric flatness and rich earthy colors characteristic of Aztec and Zapotec pottery as well as Mexican folklore. The painting is a testament to Tamayo’s mastery of color, something which would inspire future color field painters like Helen Frankenthaler, who was a student of his while teaching at the Dalton School in New York.
We wish to thank Juan Carlos Pereda for his kind assistance in the cataloguing of this work.