Graham Sutherland

Helena Rubinstein, New York & Paris (acquired directly from the artist in 1957)

London, Tate Gallery, 1957
Munich, Haus der Kunst; Den Haag, Gemeentemuseum; Berlin, Haus am Waldsee & Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Graham Sutherland, 1967, no. 57, illustrated in the catalogue
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Palm Springs, Palm Springs Desert Museum; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Portraits of Helena Rubinstein, 1976, illustrated in color on the cover of the catalogue
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Portraits d'Helena Rubinstein, 1977
London, National Portrait Gallery, Portraits of Helena Rubinstein, 1977, no. 18, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Milan, Palazzo della Permanente, Ritratti di Helena Rubinstein, 1978, no. 7, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Tate Gallery, Graham Sutherland, 1982, no. 184, illustrated in the catalogue

Sunday Times, April 14, 1957, illustrated p. 18 (photograph of the artist at work on this portrait)
The Atlantic Advocate, September 1, 1959, illustrated in color p. 59 
Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Paintings, Fredericton, 1959, illustrated pl. 50
Douglas Cooper, The Work of Graham Sutherland, London, 1961, mentioned p. 60
Helena Rubinstein, My Life for Beauty, London, 1965, illustrated pl. 38
Giorgio Soavi, Protagonisti: Giacometti, Sutherland, de Chirico, Milan, 1969, mentioned p. 165
Francesco Arcangeli, Graham Sutherland, New York, 1975, illustrated in color pl. 227
"Artist misses Portrait of Churchill," in Daily Telegraph, June 24, 1977, mentioned p. 3
John Hayes, The Art of Graham Sutherland, New York, 1980, no. 107, illustrated p. 137
Suzanne Slesin, Over the Top, Helena Rubinstein: Extraordinary Style, Beauty, Art, Fashion, Design, New York, 2003, illustrated p. 207

This canvas may have been lined but may also be dirty. Tests would need to be made in order to confirm whether or not the paint layer is dirty. At any rate, it seems unlikely that the palette will change enormously, but it may well improve enough to make a difference. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

The Tate Gallery catalogue, 1982, describes Sutherland's commission to paint Helena Rubinstein's portrait.

"The commission was begun in Paris in April 1956. Sutherland said that he could not see at first how to paint her, until she told him she had just bought a new dress by Balenciaga, an embroidered red evening gown. He asked her to put it on and she looked like an empress. Sutherland then made a number of drawings of her until she had to return to the United States, and, before she left, snipped a piece of fabric from the hem of the dress to carry away with him, to be sure of reproducing the colour and texture exactly. The first version was accidentally burnt in his studio at Trottiscliffe in December 1956. He then worked on two versions concurrently, this one of her seated and the other of her standing, three-quarter length, with her hands on her hips, and finished them in April 1957.

When she first saw them, Helena Rubinstein was greatly taken aback and did not like them at all.

They were both incredibly bold, domineering interpretations of what I had never imagined I looked like. I had never seen myself in such a harsh light. Yet later, when they were exhibited at the Tate Gallery [where they were on show together in October – December 1957], although I scarcely recognized myself through Sutherland's eyes, I had to admit that as paintings they were indeed masterpieces. [Helena Rubinstein, My Life for Beauty, p, 95]

Both (portraits) show Helena Rubinstein, who was tiny, less than five feet tall, from a low viewpoint to enhance her regal appearance." [Tate Gallery, Graham Sutherland, 1982, p. 141-142]

 

fig 1 The sitter with the present work (at right)
fig 2 Helena Rubernstein with Graham Sutherland wearing the dress shown in her portrait