Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991)

Acquired from the artist by the previous owner
Moisés Tanur, Mexico City
Sale: Christie's, New York, Latin American Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture, and Prints, Part I, November 16, 1994, lot 37, illustrated in color

Mexico, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Sala Nacional, 50 Años de Labor Artística, Exposición Homenaje Rufino Tamayo, 1968, no. 56
Venice, XXXIV Esposizione Biennale Internazionale di Arte Venezia, June 22- October 20, 1968, no. 31, p. 122
Paris, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Cent Oeuvres de Tamayo, November 17, 1974-February 2, 1975, no. 29
São Paulo, Museo de Arte Moderno, Exposición Tamayo, 1977
New York, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Musem, Rufino Tamayo: Myth and Magic, May 17-August 12, 1979, no. 82, p. 106
Mexico City, Museo de Arte Contemporáneao Internacional Rufino Tamayo; Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Rufino Tamayo. Setenta Años de Creación, December 1987-March 1988, no. 136, no. 324
Madrid, Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Rufino Tamayo Pintura, June 28-October 3, 1988, no. 55, illustrated in color
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Tamayo: A Modern Icon Reinterpreted, February 17-May 27, 2007

Justino Fernández, "Tamayo en 1968," Vértice, February 1968, p. 26, illustrated
Octavio Paz and Jacques Lassaigne, Rufino Tamayo, Barcelona, 1982, no. 91, p. 132, illustrated in color
Mariano Rivera Velázquez and Carlos Somorrostro, Tamayo, Mexico City, 1983, illustrated
Octavio Paz and Jacques Lassaigne, Rufino Tamayo, Barcelona, 1994, no. 97, p. 312, illustrated in color
Xiang Xiaosheng, Tamayo, China, 1995, p. 60, illustrated in color
Juan Arturo Brennan, et. al, Cuerpo y Espíritu. Medicina y Creación Musical, Mexico City, pp.142-3, illustrated in color
Alberto Barral, "Rufino Tamayo. Santa Barbara Museum of Art," Art Nexus, June-August 2007, p. 148

This painting is still stretched on what appears to be the original stretcher, which is properly supporting the canvas. The paint layer is stable, un-varnished and in very good condition. Tamayo paints using applied elements, there is some grit or dirt mixed in with the pigment in some places and he scrapes the surface in many areas to thin the paint or to accentuate shapes. While there may be a scuff to the work, perhaps in the lower left near the edge, and while there is a rather strange spot in the upper left which is un-retouched, it is just as likely that these are intentional by the artist. There does not appear to be any restoration and neither is any necessarily recommend. 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.

We wish to thank Juan Carlos Pereda for his kind assistance in the cataloguing of this work.