- 17
James Ensor
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description
- James Ensor
- Insectes singuliers (D., T., E. 46)
- drypoint
- plate: 118 by 160mm 4 5/8 by 6 1/4 in
- sheet: 242 by 301mm 9 1/2 by 11 7/8 in
Drypoint, 1888, the fifth (final) state, printing with burr and plate tone, signed and dated in pencil, titled, countersigned in pencil verso, framed
Provenance
Ex coll. G. Behaegel, Pittem (not in Lugt)
Condition
With margins, in good condition, areas of discoloration in the upper margin and at the extreme upper sheet edge (with associated thinning) due to previous hinging, scattered very pale fox marks (mainly verso - a couple of very inconspicuous fox marks in the image), a minute brown accretion in the upper margin, small rubbed areas in the margins above the image and at lower right, a soft horizontal crease in the lower part of the sheet (mainly visible verso - visible at right recto upon close inspection), a soft diagonal crease at the lower left corner of the sheet, a tape remain at the centre of the upper sheet edge verso, framed. (Inconspicuous printer's creases at the corners of the sheet).
"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 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."
Catalogue Note
This work, inspired by the poem Die Launen der Verbliebten (1853) by Heinrich Heine, depicts the artist’s forbidden love for Mariette Rousseau, the wife of Ernest Rousseau (see lot 47). The poem reads: [A beetle sits on a hedge, sad and pensive; he has fallen in love with a dragonfly: O dragonfly of my soul! be the spouse of my choice / Marry me, don’t reject my love, I have a golden belly] (translation in Eric Gillis, James Ensor, C G Boerner, New York, 2002, p.74). In this work, Ensor depicts himself as the brooding and seemingly awkward dung-beetle whilst his youthful amour lends her features to the dragonfly.