George Keyt (1901 - 1993)

Acquired directly from George Keyt by the South American artist Richard Burt-Riley circa 1960s

Acquired from the above by Mr. Christian Valorso, 1993

Acquired from the above circa 2010 by the present owner

Exhibited in New York, 1963

Wear to pigment at edges, visible at top left edge. Very light craquelure to pigment throughout painting, visible in the catalog illustration.
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.

George Keyt is known for his sensuous depiction of women within rustic settings. While these voluptuous female figures appear frequently in Keyt's paintings, his evident delight in the feminine form was influenced at least in part, by classical Hindu sculpture.  Beyond these indigenous artistic traditions Keyt also drew inspiration from the work of Matisse and Picasso but his carefully constructed style was not merely an adoption of western art movements. Instead, his paintings became a search for a unique type of modernism in which he created his own rules of composition as part of the celebrated '43 Group' of Sri Lankan artists who preceded the Bombay Progressives. The Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda states, "Keyt I think is the living nucleus of a great painter. In all his work there is the moderation of maturity. Magically though he places his colors and carefully though he distributes his plastic volumes, Keyt's pictures nevertheless produce a dramatic effect, particularly in his paintings of Sinhalese people. These figures take on a strange expressive grandeur, and radiate and aura of intensely profound feeling." (W. G. Archer, India and Modern Art, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1959, p. 124.)

The theme in this painting, a woman admiring herself in a mirror is recurrent in Keyt's work. The infatuation with the image of the self is portrayed in the arousal of her sensuality by the contemplation of not only her face but also her entire body. Acquainted with Picasso's studies of women with mirrors, Keyt was struck by his stylized technique and incorporated this into a distinctive pictorial language.