Important Design
Important Design
Drawn Together: The Collection of Marcia and Stanley Gumberg
Harry Bertoia
Untitled (Fantasyscape)
Auction Closed
June 9, 06:24 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Drawn Together: The Collection of Marcia and Stanley Gumberg
Harry Bertoia
Untitled (Fantasyscape)
1956
brass, chrome
5⅛ x 30 x 3 in. (13 x 76.2 x 7.6 cm)
Acquired directly from the artist by Fairweather Hardin Gallery, Chicago, 1956
Sarabel Florsheim, 1959
Thence by descent
Sotheby's New York, November 10, 2004, lot 205
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Sarabel Florsheim, 1959
Thence by descent
Sotheby's New York, November 10, 2004, lot 205
Acquired from the above by the present owner
This lot is offered together with a certificate of authenticity from the Harry Bertoia Foundation, St. George, Utah.
Over the course of his lifetime, Harry Bertoia produced a prolific and diverse oeuvre of sculptures. Each of these works was the result of his experimentation with metalworking techniques as well as a reflection of his love of nature. The present lot is an example of what Bertoia referred to as “fantasyscapes.” Comprised of eleven abstract elements welded to a horizontal plane, the piece resembles a whimsical golden forest. The varied scale and spacing of forms evoke the sprouting of trees while the texture of the brass surface further enhances the organic quality of the work. Executed in 1956, the “fantasyscape” was owned by philanthropist Sarabel Florsheim for almost five decades before entering the esteemed collection of Marcia and Stanley Gumberg. Its imaginative composition and skillful craftsmanship make this a distinctive gem by Bertoia.
Over the course of his lifetime, Harry Bertoia produced a prolific and diverse oeuvre of sculptures. Each of these works was the result of his experimentation with metalworking techniques as well as a reflection of his love of nature. The present lot is an example of what Bertoia referred to as “fantasyscapes.” Comprised of eleven abstract elements welded to a horizontal plane, the piece resembles a whimsical golden forest. The varied scale and spacing of forms evoke the sprouting of trees while the texture of the brass surface further enhances the organic quality of the work. Executed in 1956, the “fantasyscape” was owned by philanthropist Sarabel Florsheim for almost five decades before entering the esteemed collection of Marcia and Stanley Gumberg. Its imaginative composition and skillful craftsmanship make this a distinctive gem by Bertoia.