Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991)

Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York
Sale: Christie's, New York, Latin American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, November 28, 1984, lot 34, illustrated in color, detail illustration in color on the cover
The Peters Collection, New York
Sale: Christie's, New York, Latin American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, November 20, 1990, lot 12, illustrated in color
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Latin American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, Part I, November 21, 1995, lot 25, illustrated in color

New York, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Rufino Tamayo: Myth and Magic, May 17-August 12, 1979, no. 22, p. 47, illustrated
Mexico City, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo; Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Rufino Tamayo, 70 Años de Creación, December 1987-March 1988, illustrated in color

Robert Goldwater, Tamayo, New York, 1947, no. XXXVIII, p. 82, illustrated
"Tamayo," Look America's Family Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 13, June 22, 1948, p. 84, illustrated in color
Emily Genauer, Rufino Tamayo, New York, 1974, no. 39, p. 83, illustrated
Marcela Sandoval, "Rufino Tamayo, un pintor para todos," Selecciones del Reader's Digest Revista Mensual, Tomo LXXXII, No. 491, October, 1981, p. 138, illustrated in color
Mariano Rivera Velázquez and Carlos Somorrostro, Tamayo, Mexico City, 1983, illustrated in color
Edward Lucie-Smith, Latin American Art of the 20th Century, London, 1993, p. 113, illustrated

This painting has been restored fairly recently. There is a lining on the reverse which seems to stabilize the very thin linen on which the artist painted. There is a slight wave on the surface in the upper center and upper right, but this can easily be corrected. There is a varnish on the surface which although illuminates the colors well, it may not be in keeping with the artist's original wishes, and this could most likely be thinned. Under ultraviolet light there is a spot of restoration situated beneath the "T" of Tamayo in the lower left. In the lower right corner there is a tiny spot of retouch, in the center of the right edge there is another small retouch and in the upper left corner there is a small retouch above the melon. This painting could be hung as is however the varnish is quite dense and a discussion could be entered into about the wisdom of the glossy varnish. This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation.
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.

Rufino Tamayo was born in Oaxaca to Zapotec parents.  Orphaned at a young age, he moved to Mexico City in 1911 where he worked with his aunt in her market stall selling fruit.  Both the quality of light in the southeastern region of Mexico and his childhood experience in the market are reflected in this most beautiful painting entitled "Sandias" from 1941.

By the mid 1920's Rufino Tamayo left Mexico in search of the opportunity to define and develop his own style, one that would set him apart from his more vocal and publicly recognized contemporary muralist painters.  He would find a voice in New York, where his intimate canvases demonstrated a subtle lyricism that was conveyed through beautifully saturated colors.  

Though painted in 1941 as America entered the war, and in the same year as his aggressive "Animales" currently in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, "Sandias" offers an optimistic vision of bounty and abundance.  It depicts two fresh slices of the artist's emblematic watermelons, resting in a fruit bowl that overflows with a symphony of apples, cherries and pears. Not a cloud on the horizon in the background's bright, blue sky creating the perfect backdrop for two smiling slices of juicy watermelon.