Edward Burra

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London, where acquired by Theodore J. Forstmann, 1st November 1991

London, Alex Reid & Lefevre, An Exhibition of Works by Edward Burra (1905-1976), 4th November - 18th December 1987, cat. no.7, illustrated.

Andrew Causey, Edward Burra: Complete Catalogue, Phaidon, Oxford, 1985, cat. no.105, illustrated.

The sheet is not laid down, and there is an unfinished pencil sketch to the reverse. There is deckling to the extreme edges and the sheet is slightly cockled, particularly to the centre of the right edge. There is a small area of very minor loss to the extreme top left corner, not visible in the present mount. There are several minor creases running horizontally through the centre of the sheet, most visible when viewed from the reverse, with one or two further minor creases visible to the surface. There is a small area of damage to the sheet with one or two flecks of resultant paint loss to an area to the extreme right hand side just to the right of the figure's eye, not fully visible in the present mount. Elsewhere there are minor flecks of staining and discolouration, most visible to the unpainted section in the top quadrant along the edge. There are minor isolated areas of craquelure with resultant flecks of paint loss, including to the figure in the upper left hand quadrant wearing the Fez; the right side of the man in the foreground in a blue suit; to the cloak and nose of the woman on the right, with further isolated areas appearing elsewhere. This excepting the work appears to be in good overall condition, with bright and strong colours throughout. Housed behind glass in a thick gilt frame and set within a linen mount. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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Looking at the present work we are immediately struck by the array of colours, textures, patterns and cultures on show. The scene is rife with Burra’s unerring eye for style and detail, from the vibrant blue of the central figure's well-cut suit, to the abundant variety of the collared shirts, to the mosaic of ceramic tiles, to the diverse mix of people. Burra had always been fascinated by the eclectic visual clash of cultures and personalities found in the urban sphere, and in many ways the present work is an extension of the French market scenes and chronicles of port life in Marseilles and Toulon he was producing in the 1920s.  

Painted in 1934, The Clothes Shop (Bazaar) appears to be a scene in Harlem - you can just make out what appears to be an American flag on a Lypro Work sign in the background, and the cultural kaleidoscope on view is just the sort of subject that delighted Burra in New York. Burra first visited America in October 1933, travelling to New York with the painter Sophie Fedorovitch and the photographer Olivia Wyndham. He lodged in Harlem with the actress Edna Thomas, a friend of Barbara Ker-Seymer, at 1890 7th Avenue until December, then stayed with Conrad Aitkin and his wife in Boston for Christmas, returning to New York and staying at 125 E15th St until March 1934. 

The trip was to be of enormous importance for his work, exposing him as it did to not only the huge cultural diversity of New York, and particularly Harlem, but also to the kind of American painting which was then little known in Europe. Burra's letters from New York tell us mostly about the bars and shows he was frequenting, and many of these paintings take their subjects from the saloons, music halls and establisments of the city in all its forms.

The Clothes Shop (Bazaar) comes from the collection of Theodore J. Forstmann. Perhaps best known as a pioneer of the leveraged buyout, it is however his philanthropic endeavours that have left the most lasting impression. An admired and gregarious businessman, Mr Forstmann was equally at home on Wall Street as on the front lines in the fight for education. As a founding partner of the private equity firm Forstmann Little & Co., Mr Forstmann was instrumental in the creation of over $15 billion profit for his investors by acquiring over 30 companies and turning around such notables as Gulfstream Aerospace, Dr Pepper, and spearheading the expansion of IMG. Mr Forstmann’s wildly successful business career enabled him to pursue his true passion- the improvement of the lives of underprivileged youth around the world, from the South Bronx to South Africa. He founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF), which enables low income children to have access to private education alternatives, and also established two institutions which aid chronically sick children in the United States, the Benedict-Forstmann Silver Lining Ranch and the Boggy Creek Gang Camp.  Forstmann’s dedication and perseverance on behalf of his causes are true testaments to his character and desire to inspire others to assist in the charitable works of which he was a part. In February of 2011, Forstmann signed ‘The Giving Pledge,’ which was conceived as a means by which to invite American billionaires to commit at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.

In addition to being a savvy businessman and active philanthropist, Mr Forstmann was also an avid collector of art. In May 2012 Sotheby’s offered an impressive group of his Impressionist works of art including Pablo Picasso’s 1941 Femme Assise Dans un Fauteuil (Sold, Sotheby’s New York, 2^nd May 2012, for $29,202,500) and Joan Miró’s Tête Humaine (Sold, Sotheby’s New York, 2^nd May 2012, for $ 14,866,500) and we are pleased to present this further example from the collection of a truly remarkable man.