Albert Gleizes

Madame Bourdon, Paris
Sale: Drouot, Paris, 25th March 1990, lot 20
Purchased at the above sale by the late owner

New York, Montross Gallery, J. Crotti, M. Duchamp, A. Gleizes, J. Metzinger, 1916, no. 8 (titled Study of New York)
New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Albert Gleizes (1881-1953), A Retrospective Exhibition, 1964, no. 88, illustrated in the catalogue

Anne Varichon, Albert Gleizes, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1998, vol. I, no. 751, illustrated in colour p. 257

Executed on board, laid down on cradled panel; the board is stable and the panel is sound. UV examination reveals some intermittent retouching along the perimeter and in all four corners. There are further small spots of scattered retouching, notably to the lower right and upper left quadrant. There appears to be a flattened horizontal crease running from the upper right edge to the centre of the composition just beneath the Overland text, with some small associated retouching. There are two pinholes visible in the upper left corner. There is a 10cm surface scratch towards the lower right edge, which is possibly original. The texture is rich and in overall good condition; the work would respond well to cleaning.
"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."

In 1915, Albert Gleizes moved to New York with his wife, Juliette Roche, after being demobilised from army service. Spectacularly composed of vibrantly coloured and layered geometric forms, Overland is representative of the work the artist created during this period. Wholly captivated by the sounds, forms and colours of the city, the artist sought to capture these sensations within his paintings. As Peter Brooke and Christian Briend write, 'In the animated neighborhood around Broadway, it was the neon illuminated advertisements that caught the attention of Gleizes and inspired him to a very liberal extension of Cubist practice. The transparency effects and dynamic superimposing seem to recall the syncopated jazz rhythms of the music that Gleizes had also discovered upon his arrival in New York' (Peter Brooke & Christian Briend, Albert Gleizes, Le Cubisme en majesté, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon & Musée Picasso, Paris, 2001, p. 82).