Amelia Peláez (1896-1968)

Acquired from the artist by the present owner circa 1950

There appear to be pinholes along the all four edges of the work. There is a slight loss of gouache to the lower left edge. Overall, the work is in beautiful 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.
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.

During World War II my father was an Army Air Corps lawyer. He negotiated supply contracts for the military. One of his specialties was commodities. After the war, he and my mother visited Cuba a number of times for business and pleasure. It was then that they became friendly with the artist community living there.

Most notably they were very friendly with the Sicres who introduced them to all of the artists, many of whom became good friends. Mario Carreño in particular became very close to my parents. The result of all this was their purchase of works directly from Mario, Amelia Peláez, and Cundo Bermúdez among others. They continued to purchase works from these artists though the 1950s during which my father worked as counsel to Julio Lobo in the sugar business and was also involved with the opening several resort hotels in Havana.

I was fortunate as a little boy to accompany my parents on a trip to Cuba where I met Mario in his studio. When Mario moved to New York City he was not prepared for his first winter there and lacked a good overcoat. My father gave him a spare coat he had and Mario gave my mother a sketch as a thank you.

It was also during these early years that my mother, whose name is Martha, was renamed Tonita by the Cuban artist community with whom they partied nightly. She continued to use the name Toni for the next 50 plus years.

C. Leighton