Albert Gleizes

Solomon R. Guggenheim (acquired in 1936)
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (bequeathed by the above in 1937; sale: Sotheby's, London, 2nd July 1974, lot 80)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Albert Gleizes, 1881-1953, A Retrospective Exhibition, 1964, no. 114, illustrated in the catalogue

Anne Varichon, Albert Gleizes, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1998, vol. I, no. 773, illustrated in colour p. 263

The board is stable. UV examination reveals some scattered small retouchings in places, the most prominent of which are: a few scattered spots to the white, light green and cream coloured planes towards the centre, a few spots in the blue area towards the lower left corner and in the grey area towards the lower right corner. There are a few surface cracks to the extreme left edge and a few surface scratches in places, mainly towards the upper right corner, with associated retouchings. There are some fine lines of craquelure to the grey/blue vertical panel at the upper left quadrant with some associated tiny paint losses. Otherwise, this work is in overall good 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Albert Gleizes arrived in New York on 11^th September 1915. He would intermittently spend the next four years of his life there, entranced by everything the city had to offer him. New York was at once overwhelming and exciting for the newly-married artist. It was a city defined by its noise, speed and scale. Just a few years earlier, in 1912, Gleizes had co-written a seminal treatise on Cubism with Jean Metzinger, entitled Du Cubisme. The book detailed the essential principles of Cubist art, with its primary focus on form. The intensity of New York City - its overbearing skyscrapers and frantic way of life - provided ample inspiration for Gleizes’s pioneering style of art.

Vaudeville theatre was one of the most vital forms of entertainment in America at the time of Gleizes’s residency. It comprised performances from clowns, comics, daredevils and musicians; it was loud and unashamed, and was the perfect encapsulation of how Gleizes perceived New York. Gino Severini’s distorted depictions of dancers capture the frenetic energy of movement and performance. Gleizes takes this one step further, pushing the subject matter into geometric abstraction. The wild diversity of shapes and patterns in this piece evoke an atmosphere charged with adrenaline and energy. It is a passionate expression of Gleizes’s response to New York culture: something he found both enchanting and electrifying.