Henri Cartier-Bresson
Sale of Gold in the last Days of Kuomintang, Shanghai, China
Property of a Prominent Corporation
Henri Cartier-Bresson
1908 - 2004
Sale of Gold in the last Days of Kuomintang, Shanghai, China
gelatin silver print, the photographer's reproduction rights stamp, numerical notations in pencil, and a Metropolitan Museum of Art collection stamp, with number 1972.749.1 in pencil, on the reverse, framed, 1948, printed circa 1972
image: 7 ⅞ by 11 ⅞ in. (20 by 30.1 cm.)
frame: 16 ½ by 20 ½ in. (41.9 by 52.1 cm.)
Please note the color and shades in the online catalogue illustration may vary depending on screen settings. This print is in generally excellent condition. When examined in raking light, the following are visible: small, barely noticeable, soft impressions that do not break the emulsion at the right edge and lower left center portion of the print; and deposits of original retouching. None of these issues detract from the otherwise attractive appearance of this print. The upper right and left margin edges are somewhat rubbed, and there is minor chipping along the left and right edges. There is a blue fingerprint in the upper margin. The lower right margin corner is bumped. On the reverse is some minor soiling, an abrasion, and a rust-colored deposit of indeterminate nature. The notations in an unidentified hand are as follows: '59%'; '108'; 'K430' and 'SAUU 109' in pencil and '3' [circled] in red pencil.
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. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color 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. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Sotheby's New York, Important Photographs from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Including Works from the Gilman Paper Company Collection, 15 February 2006, Sale 8165, Lot 87, Solomon Fine Art, Monarch Beach, CA, as agent
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Face of Asia (New York, 1972), pp. 170-71
Robert Delpire, et al., Henri Cartier-Bresson, Photographer (Boston, 1979), pl. 69
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photographs from the Museum's Collection, December 1984 - March 1985