Diego Rivera (1886-1957)

Private Collection, New York

This canvas has been lined and the paint layer is stable. It is most likely clean although it has a slightly soft palette which could arguably receive some careful further cleaning. There are no retouches immediately apparent under ultraviolet light, although some of the original colors do read slightly darker in this light. To the naked eye there is a slight vertical crack in the jacket worn by the figure and possibly some losses in her left arm. These are identifiable under close visual examination and there may be others. However overall the picture is in very healthy condition and should be hung as is. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

Gladys March met Diego Rivera in the spring of 1944 when he granted her an interview for a newspaper article she was writing.   Though married to a Miami Beach physician, she continued work as a journalist and returned to Mexico the next year to spend six months with Rivera as he dictated his memoirs to her.  This was followed by yearly visits to Mexico until 1957, the year he died. "Fortunately for me, Rivera seemed to be flattered by the continual attentions of a young American woman.  I literally walked in his shadow, and he let me go with him everywhere as he spun his tales." (Diego Rivera, My Art, My Life, An authobiography with Gladys March, p. 11)
This lot includes personal photographs, articles, research material and the original manuscript for the book, originally titled Mexico's Bad Boy.  These documents contain notes and stories that were edited before publication.  Among these is a visit from Chester Dale during the painting of Gladys March's portrait in which the three shared lunch and Diego popped a fly into this mouth; a proposition that Frida Kahlo received from a Swedish millionaire while in San Francisco with Rivera; Diego's theories on the differences in the sexual practices of Russians versus Americans and a program he called "Lubrication for Reconciliation"; and a comment from Frida who tells Gladys, "If my next operation turns out successfully, you and I will go out and get cockeyed together, okay, kid?"