DAVID SMITH | Classic Figure III

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Talkington, Tappan (acquired directly from the artist in September 1946)
Private Collection, Massachusetts (acquired from the above)
Joan T. Washburn Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner in June 2003

Northampton, Smith College Museum of Art, Memorial to Alfred Vance Churchill, 1864-1949: Works of Art Belonging to Alumnae, May - June 1950, cat. no. 75

Rosalind Krauss, The Sculpture of David Smith: A Catalogue Raisonné, New York 1977, cat. no. 172, p. 30, illustrated

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. Under very close inspection and extreme raking light, there are extremely faint superficial abrasions and irregularities visible to the surface, inherent to the artist's chosen medium. The sculpture is secured to a 1.5-inch circular base.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

“Visions are from the imaginative mind, sculpture can come from the found discards in nature, from sticks and stones and parts and pieces, assembled or monolithic, solid form, open form, lines of form, or, like a painting, the illusion of form. And sculpture can be painting and painting can be sculpture and no authority can overrule the artist in his declaration.”
David Smith