Matta (1911-2002)

Galleria La Medusa, Rome
Claudio Bruni Sakraischik, Rome
Sale: Christie's, New York, Latin American Art, November 21, 2000, lot 37, illustrated in color
Private Collection, New York
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, Latin American Art, November 25, 2014, lot 52, illustrated in color
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Rome, Galleria dell'Oca, Matta: Opere dal 1939 al 1975, 1976, no. 21, p. 138, illustrated

This work is in very good condition overall. The canvas is unlined and well-stretched. The media layer is stable, and the colors are vibrant. The canvas appears to have been originally stretched on a slightly smaller stretcher, and losses which appear to correspond to tack holes are present along the extreme left and right edges of the canvas. An additional fine horizontal line of paint loss is present at the center right edge, extending inward approximately six inches. A second isolated area of losses is present in the lower right corner. In the lower left quadrant approximately four inches from the lower edge, two horizontal scuffs are present, measuring approximately three and two inches in length.
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.

As he entered the 1950s, Matta had matured the complexities of his earlier anthropomorphism and reoriented his original conception of infinite fictional space. Moving to Paris in the spring of 1955, he cultivated a renewed interest on the gesture. Through it, he delved deeper into automatism: a device for the articulation of signs and activation of hidden emotions.

Given the amplitude of these ambitious Parisian canvases, visual structure and chromatic freedom dominate the composition. The spectator, once a passive receptor, emerges as an active participant engulfed by large organic worlds filled with internal explosions. This is a “kingdom in ecstatic bloom: strenuous shoots, dazzling pistils and humming bumble-bees, all in gorgeous colours."

Ingemar Gustafson, Matta, 15 Forms of Doubting, Moderna Museet Stockholm, 1959, p.30