- 13
TOYEN (MARIE ČERMÍNOVÁ) | Au soleil noir
估價
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
Log in to view results
招標截止
描述
- Toyen
- Au soleil noir
- signed and dated TOYEN 51 lower right; signed, titled and dated on the stretcher
- oil on canvas
- 40 by 50cm., 15¾ by 19¾in.
來源
Private collection, Paris
Private collection, Antwerp (purchased from the above in circa 1998)
Private collection, Antwerp (purchased from the above in circa 1998)
展覽
Paris, Galerie L’Etoile scellée, Toyen, 1953, no. 2
出版
André Breton, Jindrich Heisler, Benjamin Péret, Toyen, Paris, 1953, p. 36, listed, p. 72, illustrated, p. 104, listed
Ed. Cahiers du Centre de recherches sur le surréalisme, 'Le surréalisme en héritage: les avant-gardes après 1945', in Mélusine, no. 28, Lausanne, 2008, p. 300, cited
Karel Srp, Toyen, Prague, 2000, p. 210, cited; p. 212, cited, no. 286, catalogued & illustrated
Ed. Cahiers du Centre de recherches sur le surréalisme, 'Le surréalisme en héritage: les avant-gardes après 1945', in Mélusine, no. 28, Lausanne, 2008, p. 300, cited
Karel Srp, Toyen, Prague, 2000, p. 210, cited; p. 212, cited, no. 286, catalogued & illustrated
Condition
The canvas has not been lined and is securely attached to a keyed wooden stretcher which appears to be of the time. A thin wooden frame has been nailed around the stretcher. There are some scattered, pin-head sized white dots in the lower left and lower right quadrant respectively, few of which appear to be paint losses notably in the lower left. It otherwise appears to be coherent with the artist's use of materials. Some minor, superficial scuffs are also visible in the upper right quadrant. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals no visible sign of retouching. This work is in good original condition and is ready to hang. Presented in a black, wooden, floating frame
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
拍品資料及來源
‘Reminiscing about memories is more beautiful than reminiscing about reality, or reality itself’ Jaroslav Siefert, Volné Směry, 1933-34
Painted in 1951, Au soleil noir is an exquisite work from Toyen’s mature period. Showcasing the artist’s personal approach to some of the key surrealist notions of the avant-garde movement, the present work combines symbols which both expand beyond the realms of imagination and are at the same time deeply rooted in the artist's personal history.
Set on a dark background, elements which appear to have been randomly selected thus acquire a more profound meaning. The black sun, an allusion to the suggestive astronomical event of the eclipse, is in fact a decoration taken from a traditional house in the city of Prague, known as The House of The Shining Sun (fig. 1). First appearing in Prague in the fifteenth century, signs like this one were used to distinguish buildings and for easy orientation. Toyen was inspired by these quirky and suggestive signs and often incorporated them in her works between 1930-1940. On the other hand, the cocoon-shaped whirl of colourful threads is both evocative of the four elements of nature (fire, earth, water and air) and of another motif frequently used by the artist, that of the joining hands. Emphasising the concept of personal recollection, Au soleil noir could therefore be interpreted as an intimate expression of Toyen's own memory of the city of Prague.
Born in Prague in 1902 as Marie Cermínová, Toyen was a key member of the Surrealist group and an integral figure within the Czech avant-garde. In 1920 she was the co-founder of the Devětsil group, which aimed to both offer a platform for a new generation of Czech artists and provide an insight into avant-garde developments across Europe. Adopting the pseudonym ‘Toyen’, she spent part of the 1920s in Paris with her friend and colleague Jindřich Štyrský, with whom she founded Artificialism, a style of painting concerned with the poetic perception of recollection. She became a leading member of Surrealism both in Paris and in Prague, participating in all its international exhibitions.
Painted in 1951, Au soleil noir is an exquisite work from Toyen’s mature period. Showcasing the artist’s personal approach to some of the key surrealist notions of the avant-garde movement, the present work combines symbols which both expand beyond the realms of imagination and are at the same time deeply rooted in the artist's personal history.
Set on a dark background, elements which appear to have been randomly selected thus acquire a more profound meaning. The black sun, an allusion to the suggestive astronomical event of the eclipse, is in fact a decoration taken from a traditional house in the city of Prague, known as The House of The Shining Sun (fig. 1). First appearing in Prague in the fifteenth century, signs like this one were used to distinguish buildings and for easy orientation. Toyen was inspired by these quirky and suggestive signs and often incorporated them in her works between 1930-1940. On the other hand, the cocoon-shaped whirl of colourful threads is both evocative of the four elements of nature (fire, earth, water and air) and of another motif frequently used by the artist, that of the joining hands. Emphasising the concept of personal recollection, Au soleil noir could therefore be interpreted as an intimate expression of Toyen's own memory of the city of Prague.
Born in Prague in 1902 as Marie Cermínová, Toyen was a key member of the Surrealist group and an integral figure within the Czech avant-garde. In 1920 she was the co-founder of the Devětsil group, which aimed to both offer a platform for a new generation of Czech artists and provide an insight into avant-garde developments across Europe. Adopting the pseudonym ‘Toyen’, she spent part of the 1920s in Paris with her friend and colleague Jindřich Štyrský, with whom she founded Artificialism, a style of painting concerned with the poetic perception of recollection. She became a leading member of Surrealism both in Paris and in Prague, participating in all its international exhibitions.