Philip Guston

Private Collection, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2004

Illinois, Rockford Art Museum, Reuniting an Era: Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s,  November 2004 – January 2005
Athens, Georgia Museum of Art; Muncie, Ball State University Museum of Art; Salt Lake City, Utah Museum of Fine Art; New York, Baruch College, Sydney Mishkin Gallery; Greenville County Museum of Art; Chicago, Loyola University Museum of Art, Suitcase Paintings: Small Scale Abstract Expressionism, May 2007 - October 2008

This work is in very good overall condition. The sheet has yellowed very slightly with age. There are two very fine repaired tears located as followed: there is a ¼ in repaired tear located 3 ½ inches from the top extending from the left edge; there is a ¾ inch repaired tear located 3 inches from the top extending from the right edge. In addition, there is a very fine ¾ inch crease to the sheet located 8 inches from the bottom edge extending from the right edge. There are artist pinholes at the four corners. This work is hinged verso intermittently around the edges to the mat and framed under glass.
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.

It is the bareness of drawing that I like. The act of drawing is what locates, suggests, discovers. At times it seems enough to draw, without the distractions of color and mass. Yet it is an old ambition to make drawing and painting one. Usually I draw in relation to my painting, what I am working on at the time. On a lucky day a surprising balance of forms and spaces will appear and I feel the drawing making itself, the image taking hold.             Philip Guston, 1966