Francisco Bores

Galerie Renou et Colle, Paris, 1946
Nommessen collection, Copenhagen
Sale: Bruun Rasmussen, 4 March 2008, lot 313
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, 5 November 2008, lot 201
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Galerie de France, 1946, no. 35

Francisco Bores: Catálogo Razonado Pintura, vol. II, Madrid, 1965-72, no. 1946/7, p. 40, illustrated

The canvas has not been lined. There is some minor craquelure visible throughout the painted surface, notably in the top left corner. Ultra-violet light reveals areas of uneven fluorescence which are probably associated with the artist's pigments, and very small scattered spots of cosmetic retouching. The work is in good condition and ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame.
"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."

Painted in 1946, Nature Morte au Bol is indebted to the work of Picasso, Braque and Matisse. After having moved to Paris in 1925, the Nazi occupation forced the artist and his family to leave the capital for the town of St-Jean-de-Luz, just south of Biarritz and across the bay from Ciboure, where Matisse had just moved to in 1940. The painters enjoyed spending time together and Matisse’s influence is evident in the artist’s works of the time. Painted six years after their encounter, Nature Morte au Bol still seems to have more in common with Matisse’s ‘synthetic’ shapes rather than with Braque’s cubism. It also somehow anticipates Bores’ ‘white way’ as a search for luminosity that frees the space of the canvas and makes shapes almost transparent:  "My constant search for space led me, in 1950, to another change: it is what the critics referred to as " the white way ". I continued aspiring to a greater luminosity, at the same time dematerialising the figures more and more.”