- 10
Giorgio Morandi
Description
- Natura Morta
- signed Morandi (lower right)
- oil on canvas
- 34.8 by 34.8cm., 13 3/4 by 13 3/4 in.
Provenance
Antonio Mazzotta, Milan
Private Collection, Milan
Primo Yesi, Bologna
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
The theme of still-life remained central to Morandi's art throughout his career, and the use of simple everyday objects allowed the artist to focus his attention on the pictorial elements of space, light, colour and form. This Natura morta of 1962 depicts three objects that vary in size, shape, design and finish, set against a simple background which is rendered in Morandi's typically subtle and subdued blocks of neutral colour. Tightly grouped together, the objects in the present composition are arranged at varying distances from the viewer, partially overlapping and shadowing each other, forming a dynamic ensemble. Morandi's mastery was in rendering these common objects with a timeless elegance and grace unique to his oeuvre.
Morandi is known to have spent hours, even days, setting up the composition in his studio, and the present work exemplifies this calculated precision which enabled him to explore the nuances of colour and form. Morandi never tired of using the same objects, and found a challenge in rearranging them and in making slight changes to the angle of vision and lighting, thus creating numerous variations on a theme, with an ever-changing dynamic between the objects themselves, as well as between the objects and their background.