JOHN WESLEY | BROWN WOMAN IN HALF SLIP

Guaranteed Property

Lot Closed

March 7, 07:18 PM GMT

Estimate

30,000 - 50,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

The History of Now: The Collection of David Teiger Sold to Benefit Teiger Foundation for the Support of Contemporary Art

JOHN WESLEY

b.1928

BROWN WOMAN IN HALF SLIP

signed, titled and dated 1995 on the reverse

acrylic on canvas

62 by 47 in. (157.5 by 119.4 cm.)

This work is in very good condition overall. There is minor wear to the edges, visible upon close inspection. Under ultraviolet light, there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.

The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Fredericks & Freiser Gallery, New York

Acquired from the above by David Teiger in September 2000

New York, MoMA PS1, John Wesley: Paintings 1961-2000, September 2000 - January 2001, pp. 120-121, illustrated in color

Venice, Fondazione Prada, John Wesley, June - October 2009, pp. XLI and 376, illustrated in color

John Wesley is recognized for his large-format depictions of bodies and cartoon characters, rendered with a signature flatness and limited color range. His work does not define easy categorization: while containing many of the emblems of Pop art, his style is akin to Minimalism. Indeed, his closest personal associations were with artists such as Dan Flavin and Donald Judd. Judd would later pen a laudatory essay on Wesley’s work and set aside a space for him at his complex in Marfa, Texas. Wesley himself considers his work to be aligned with Surrealism.

The present work displays a close-up of female nude, with her undergarments and his signature blue accenting the work at opposing ends of the canvas. Wesley has had career retrospectives at MoMA PS1, New York in 2000 and at the Fondazione Prada, Venice in 2009.