Lot 590
  • 590

ANTONIO DE LA GANDARA | Portrait of Ambassador del Solar and His Children

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Antonio de la Gandara
  • Portrait of Ambassador del Solar and His Children
  • signed A de la Gandara (lower right) 
  • oil on canvas 
  • 79 1/2 by 45 1/2 in.
  • 201.9 by 115.6 cm

Provenance

Sale: Christie's, New York, November 1, 1995, lot 21, illustrated
Kurt Schon, Ltd., New Orleans 
Private Collection, North Carolina 

Exhibited

Probably, Munich, 1906

Literature

Je Sais Tout: magazine encyclopédique illustré, Paris, February 15, 1905, no. 49, p. 85, illustrated 
Femina, Paris, August 1, 1909 
Antonia Fraser, "Not Just a Pretty Face," The Telegraph, London, October 28, 2007 
Xavier Mathieu, Antonio de la GandaraUn témoin de la Belle Époque, Deauville, 2011, p. 92-3, illustrated (in color and in the background of a black and white photograph) 

Condition

Original unlined condition, with two patches adhered to the reverse at upper left. The work presents well. There is frame abrasion scattered at the edges and a small surface scuff to the man's pant leg. Under UV: there are two small areas of restoration in the background that correspond with the aforementioned patches.
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

Antonio de La Gandara, a contemporary of John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, was a celebrated portraitist in Paris. Born in Spain, he relocated to the French capital, where he studied under Jean-Léon Gerome and Alexandre Cabanel. De La Gandara was also influenced by his own artistic heritage, namely the portraits of his countrymen Vélasquez and Goya. Completed in 1904, the present lot depicts Alberto del Solar with his two daughters, Felisa and Enriqueta. The Chilean ambassador, Del Solar, also a poet, belonged to a glittering set of cultured South American expatriates living in Paris during the Belle Époque.