Sir Eduardo Paolozzi

Mayor Gallery, London, whence purchased by Mr and Mrs Milnes-Smith, 20th July 1961 for £70.

The sheet is sound and appears to be attached to its backboard in the corners and in several places along the edges. The paper is undulating and has slightly discoloured, notably to the edges. There are pinholes in the corners and an old tear approx. 1cm. long to the upper right edge. There are some scattered spots of staining throughout and some surface craquelure to the thicker blue pigments. Otherwise in good overall condition. Held in a simple gilt frame under glass; unexamined out of frame. The paper tones are yellower than the catalogue illustration suggests and the blues are brighter.
"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."

Paolozzi held his first one-man exhibition in January- February 1947, at the Mayor Gallery. Well-reviewed and with a decent batch of sales, Paolozzi took £75 and set off for Paris, renting a room for £1 per month on the Ile St.Louis. He found there a rich vein of inspiration, both in the wealth of the great museum collections, but also in the contemporary art scene around him. He saw Dubuffet’s collection of art brut, studied Dada and Surrealism, and became friendly with many of the artists, including Giacometti. His first work in Paris were gouaches and collages that took the simple decoration of newspaper stands, lottery booths and, as here, the shooting booths at the street fairs, and rendered the bold primary colours and the target forms into a set of quasi-mechanical mask-like faces and as such are a clear early demonstration of the artist’s ability to anthropomorphize even the most everyday subject matter.

To be sold with a copy of the original purchase invoice dated 20 July 1961