Jean Dubuffet

The Pace Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Paris, Galerie Zlotowski, Jean Dubuffet en Papier, September - November 2012, p. 54-55, illustrated in color
New York, S|2, Jean Dubuffet: A Fine Line, May - June 2014, pl. 25, p. 67, illustrated in color

Max Loreau, ed., Catalogue des Travaux de Jean Dubuffet, Fascicule XXVII: Coucou Bazar, Lausanne, 1976, cat. no. 301 bis, p. 173, illustrated

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. The colors are bright and fresh. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges, including some scattered minor surface abrasions and areas of slight discoloration. There are unobtrusive pinpoint media accretions visible upon close inspection. At the figure's right side, there are 2 minor and unobtrusive cracks, both of which appear stable: one is 1-inch and one is ½-inch. At the figure's left side in the black painted area, there is stable hairline craquelure and a minor ⅛-inch area of loss. There is also a minor 1-inch crack at the figure's left side which appears stable.
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.

Conceived for Jean Dubuffet's monumental Coucou Bazar, the present work lends itself to the artist's famed event, yet individually it stands as a powerful figure, resolutely firm in its broad, authoritative build. Coucou Bazar, derived from the artist's L'Hourloupe series, was performed for the first time in 1973 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and subsequently toured to venues in Paris in 1974 and Turin in 1978. The installation event was unprecedented at the time in both its elaborate, awe-inspiring scale and its artistic ingenuity.

Executed in 1975, Le Pirate is a quintessential example of Dubuffet's L'Hourloupe works. Here, Dubuffet introduces a sculptural component to the series, reimagining his innovative doodles in the three-dimensional realm. Dubuffet removes any sense of fundamental constant from the figure, liberating the work from any confined and preconceived principles. Le Pirate challenges the perception of reality, disturbing the traditional understandings of form by breaking down the concrete with an unconventional color palette and unique figuration. Of the works in the L'Hourloupe cycle, Dubuffet has commented, "In my thinking...[they] are linked one to the other, each of them an element destined to become part of the whole. The cycle itself is conceived as the figuration of a world other than our own, or, if you prefer parallel to ours, and it is this world which bears the name L'Hourloupe."

The present asymmetric construction of red, white, blue and black exhibits hints of human qualities, furthering Dubuffet's examination of the perceptual world. A corporeal form emerges through the restricted use of color and pattern that, paired with the work's title, produce the semblance of an identifiable character. Like a buccaneer, Dubuffet uses the personified Le Pirate to disturb the sanctity, questioning the norms in his metaphoric exploration into identity and definition.