- 172
Francis Picabia
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 USD
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Description
- Francis Picabia
- Le Port
- Signed Francis Picabia (lower left)
- Oil on canvas
- 31 1/8 by 39 1/2 in.
- 81.6 by 100.3 cm
Provenance
Galerie René Drouin, Paris
Private Collection, New York (acquired from the above before 1994)
Thence by descent
Private Collection, New York (acquired from the above before 1994)
Thence by descent
Literature
Maria Lluïsa Borras, Picabia, New York, 1985, no. 401, illustrated fig. 551, p. 304
Condition
This works in in very good condition. The surface is clean and the pigments are well preserved. Canvas is lined. Under UV light: a thin varnish prevents a thorough examination but a 5-inch line of small strokes of inpainting is visible in the white pigment of the lowest zigzag in the upper right corner. Otherwise, fine.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
In the present work, the boats in the harbor are rendered in brilliant, bold colors applied with a great sense of energy. After years of experimentation with various media and techniques that characterized his Dada years, the mid-1920s marked Picabia's renewed interest in painting. The simplified markings, such as circles, crosses and hatching visible in the present work, can be seen as a legacy of his Dada style. These abstract, geometric forms and lines painted in black and white are used to signify various elements of the background, such as the angles of buildings, the clouds and the ripples in the water, and meanwhile the zig-zag lines behind the buildings are a witty indication of clouds, a subject that would have been elaborately and delicately painted by the old master or Impressionist before him. By transforming these elements according to his own unorthodox vision, Picabia created images resonating with radical vivacity and intense creative power.