Brice Marden

Bykert Gallery, New York
Christie’s, New York, November 19, 1981, lot 298
Private Collection
Donated by Leonard Lauder and LWG Family Partners

This work is in good condition overall. The top and bottom edges are deckled. There are pinholes in the top left and right corners. There is a 1 inch tear in the top edge, 4 inches from the right side. There is a ¼ inch tear in the top edge 1 ¼ inch from the right edge. There is a ¼ tear on the top edge 4 inches from the left edge. There are paper losses to the bottom left and right corners of the sheet. There are two small abrasions 7 inches from the top and 12 ½ inches from the right edge. The sheet is hinged verso to the matte intermittently around the edges. Framed under Plexiglas.
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.

Untitled (1968) is an early work on paper, in white crayon, watercolor, and graphite, that typifies Marden’s interest during this period in the spatial limits of the rectangular form and subtle tonalities of muted gray, which at once emphasize surface and suggest an elusive depth. As in many of his early paintings, a bare, narrow margin at the sides allows the viewer to investigate the process of the work’s making. Marden, at this point, had completed his graduate studies at the Yale University School of Art and Architecture, studying under Alex Katz and Jon Schueler along with fellow students Richard Serra, Chuck Close, and others. After a stint as a guard at the Jewish Museum, where he encountered the Jasper Johns retrospective held there in 1964, he embarked for Paris, where he began to make grid-patterned, grisaille drawings in charcoal or graphite such as this one.