Stuart Davis

Collection of Mary and Earle Ludgin
Gifted by the above to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1981

Permanent Collection:  The Mary and Earle Ludgin Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, January-February 1983

Sarah B. Sherrill, Carpets and Rugs of Europe and America, New York, 1996, p. 383
Susan Day, Art Deco and Modernist Carpets, London, 2002, cat. no. 250

Overall excellent condition. This carpet has been in a museum collection and therefore stored under the high standard of handling and was minimally handled. The pile measures approximately ¼ inch in length. The rug was stored rolled, and therefore presents without any fold lines. The carpet appears to have little to no evidence of wear or fading. An excellent condition example of this Stuart Davis designed carpet.
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.

Already a world-renowned painter, Stuart Davis was approached in 1942 to participate in an unusual exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art entitled, New Rugs by American Artists.  The exhibition paired noted artists, including Davis, Achille Gorky and Margeurite Zorach, with V’Soske, an American carpet firm.  The results were bold carpet designs that established a new direction of artist experimentation in the medium.  Both "Flying Carpet" by Stuart Davis and a rug by Achille Gorky from the exhibition remain in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Stuart Davis was a pioneer of American modernist painting who introduced a unique abstract view of American life and culture.  According to interviews with Davis, “Flying Carpet” was a cubist interpretation of a landscape as observed from an airplane.  A later example of the “Flying Carpet” was selected by Philip Johnson for the interior of the Seagram Building in the 1950s.

The collaboration of V’Soske with artists that began in 1942 continues and has introduced carpet designs from Frank Lloyd Wright to Lee Mindel. 

Sotheby’s would like to thank Ellen Hertzmark of V’Soske for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.