MEL RAMOS | Peek-A-Boo, Raven #2

Bianchini Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York
Collection of Yoav Harlap, Israel (acquired from the above in 1994)
Christie's, London, The Yoav Harlap Collection, 15 October 2006, Lot 107
Private Collection, Palm Beach (acquired from the above sale)
Sotheby's, New York, 15 May 2014, Lot 232
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

New York, Bianchini Gallery, The American Woman: Mel Ramos, November 1964
New York, Spanierman Modern, Summer Selections, August - October 2007

Pierre Restany, "A Rare Collection in Israel," Cimaise, revue de l'art actuel, No. 246, April - May 1997, n.p., illustrated
Thomas Levy, Ed., Mel Ramos: Heroines, Goddesses, Beauty Queens, Bielefeld 2002, p. 189, illustrated in color
Donald B. Kuspit, Mel Ramos: Pop Art Fantasies: The Complete Paintings, New York 2004, p. 78, illustrated in color
Belinda Grace Gardner, Ed., Mel Ramos: Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings 1953-2015, Bielefeld 2017, cat. no. 64-17, pp. 42 and 185, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is light evidence of wear and handling along the edges including a pinpoint spot of loss in the lower right and upper right corners. The colors are bright and fresh. There is a small area of radial cracking below the lower right edge of the keyhole and a minor and unobtrusive pinpoint brown spot accretion with a faint drip accretion below that visible in the lower right quadrant. Under close inspection, there is a spot to the right edge approximately 10-inches from the top and a spot to the left of the figure’s hand that are slightly raised. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, these two spots, along with a few other minor spots, fluoresce darkly and appear to have benefitted from restoration, and the drip accretion fluoresces but does not appear to be the result of restoration. Framed.
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.