Giorgio Morandi

Galleria del Milione, Milan

Galleria Narciso, Turin

Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York

Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby

Acquired by descent from the above

Laberto Vitali, Morandi, Dipinti, Catalogo generale, volume secondo, 1948-1964, Milan, 1994, no. 770, illustrated

Excellent condition. Original canvas. Slight prior frame abrasions around the extreme edges. Canvas and paint layer is stable though there is minor craquelure in the center white background directly above the red vase. Under ultra violet light, no evidence of retouching.
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.

Giorgio Morandi's meticulously composed still-lifes were the dominant theme of his career.  Like others of his generation, he looked at the Italian art of the early Renaissance with fresh eyes, simultaneously conscious of the legacy of tradition as well as the regional and rustic aspects of the Italian cultural heritage.   The artist's guiding principle was to bring together space, light, color and form in order to reconcile this traditional genre with the abstract aesthetic of his own time. Focusing his artistic efforts on a limited range of subjects, he was able to perfect these pictorial concerns to their purest expression. 

In Natura morta, the ensemble of ceramic objects is rendered in subtle tonal variations lending them a dream-like quality, and their material presence is transformed into a composition of pure color and form. Morandi's mastery was in rendering these common objects with a timeless grace unique to his oeuvre. The sense of classical beauty and harmony in the present work is derived not only from the subtlety of palette, ranging from cool stone white and grey to lemon yellow and rose, but also from the elegant shapes of the objects themselves, reminiscent of scattered antique ruins bathed in the summer light.