Lot 134
  • 134

ANDRÉ MASSON | La Tour et les bateaux

Estimate
70,000 - 100,000 USD
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Description

  • André Masson
  • La Tour et les bateaux
  • Signed André Masson (lower right)
  • Oil on canvas
  • 39 7/8 by 32 7/8 in.
  • 101.3 by 83.6 cm
  • Painted in 1946.

Provenance

Galerie Simon, Paris
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York
Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Acquavella Galleries, New York
André Lefèvre, Paris (acquired by 1965)
Private Collection (and sold: Sotheby Parke-Bernet, December 11, 1980, lot 110)
Private Collection (and sold: Christie's, New York, May 13, 1987, lot 361)
Acquired at the above sale

Exhibited

Paris, Galerie Louise Leiris, André Masson—Oeuvres nouvelles, 1947, no. 16
New York, Buchholz Gallery, Landscapes by André Masson, 1949, no. 1 (titled Tower and Boats)
Berlin, Werke Franzosischen Meister der Genzenwart, 1952, no. 34
Berlin, Berliner Festwochen, Werker Französicher Meister der Gegenwart, 1952, no. 34, illustrated in the catalogue (dated 1947)
Paris, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Collection André Lefevre, 1964, no. 186
Paris, Musée national d'art moderne, Exposition: Collection André Lefèvre, 1965, no. 186
Hôtel de Ville, Saint-Etienne-de-Rouvray, André Masson, peintures, dessins, gravures, 1968, no. 6
Ferrara, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, André Masson: 1923-1968, 1969, no. 31
Dortmund, Museum am Ostwall, Solingen, Klingenmuseum & Kaiserlautern, Pfalzgalerie, André Masson: 1922-1968, 1970, no. 14
London, The Waddington Galleries, André Masson—Paintings, 1972, no. 9, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Literature

Françoise Will-Levaillant, "André Masson et le temps des Cahiers du Sud—Correspondance entre André Masson et Jean et Marcelle Ballard," Cahiers du Musée National d'Art Moderne, no. 10, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1972, illustrated p. 219

Condition

The work is in excellent condition. The canvas is unlined. There is a faint stretcher bar mark around the perimeter of the canvas. There is some minor frame abrasion around the extreme edges. Under UV light, no inpainting is apparent.
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

The present work was previously in the collection of André Lefèvre, a successful Parisian stockbroker who retired at the age of forty-four to devote himself fully to his art collection. Advised by the owner of Galerie Percier, André Level, he acquired several important Cubist canvases by Picasso, Léger, Braque and Gris, including Braque's Man with Guitar (1914) which sold for more than one million francs when sold after Lefèvre's death. An extraordinarily agile artist, Masson created a diverse body of work that spans several movements including Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. While his early work expressed an interest in Cubism, he would soon develop his own unique visual vocabulary. During the 1940s when Masson lived in New York, he worked at Stanley William Hayter’s famous “Atelier 17” alongside American artists including Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko (see fig. 1).

 “Everything must return to the eternal fire.
Tempest of flames.” 
—André Masson



The authenticity of this work has kindly been confirmed by the Comité Masson.