Armando Morales (1927-2011)

Claude Bernard Collection, New York
Galería Ramis Barquet, Monterrey
Private Collection, Mexico 
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Latin American Art, May, 29, 2002, lot 27, illustrated in color

Mexico City, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo, Armando Morales, Pintura, April-September 1990, no. 38, p, 68, illustrated in color

Lily Kassner, Morales, Mexico City, 1995, no. 164, pp. 184-5, illustrated in color

This work is in wonderful condition. There are no reinforcements on the reverse, and the canvas is well-stretched. Morales’ technique involves a good deal of manipulation of the paint layer, which sometimes leads to cracking. In this painting, there are a few isolated areas where cracks are faintly visible. However, they are neither disturbing nor indications of structural problems, except for a spot in the center, a spot on the far bank of the water in the lower left and another in the upper right corner, where the paint has become slightly unstable. These small losses are easy to repair, and the condition is very good for a work of this scale by the artist. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

"Morales shows us that every great painting is something that never took place before. It doesn’t reflect the world: it creates the world. Armando Morales is a realist who bathes reality in dreams. He is a crepuscular painter merging the real and the fantastic at dusk. He is a Latin American painter because he keeps all of the traditions of art alive, refusing to sacrifice a single one. He does not accept a linear, exclusive modernity. He is a universal painter because he has emerged, as commented by another great Nicaraguan, the novelist Sergio Ramirez, “from the imprisoned time of his borders to stand exposed to the elements with no more protection than his genius and his work. He is a unique painter for, as in Wordworth’s poem, he is only a solitary heart lodged in a dream.”

Carlos Fuentes, "Painting is a Dream," in Lily Kassner, Morales, Italy, 1995, p. 11