GEORGE CONDO (B. 1957) | Untitled, 'circa' 1982-83

oil on canvas

Private Collection, California (gift of the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner

This work is in very good condition overall. There is rubbing with associated pigment loss to the turning edges. There is a faint surface layer of dust and scattered pinpoint accretions, for example on the left vertical edge by the standing figure. There is an area of vertical pigment cracking in the lower left quadrant. Under Ultraviolet light inspection 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.

In the wake of unprecedented market results, museum shows spanning the globe, and a fervent interest in the scholarly realm, George Condo’s earliest, most foundational works have come under a renewed focus. The artist’s 'Untitled,' executed just as Condo articulated the notion of ‘artificial realism,’ exhibits the conceptual tenets which would come to define his practice. 'Untitled' synthesizes disparate art historical subject matter, distorted through a Modernist lens, to forge a sense of pathos and psychological intensity that feels irrefutably contemporary. The present work simultaneously references art history while shedding the weight of the past, granting rare access into Condo’s development as one of the most important painters of the Contemporary era.