- 107
Gerald Scarfe
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
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Description
- Gerald Scarfe
- The Magic Flute - Backdrop
- Paper
435 by 780mm. (on 593 by 840mm. sheet), pencil and watercolour drawing, captioned "The Magic Flute" and signed lower right, framed and glazed
Provenance
New York Public Library, "Magical Designs for Mozart's Magic Flute", 1 April - 21 August, 2016
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"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
Scarfe was commissioned to design the set and costumes for Los Angeles Opera's The Magic Flute in 1993. Variety praised Scarfe for 'a visually stunning, semi-Egyptian wonderland, populated by a mad menagerie of colorful beasts festooned in the zaniest of costumes'. The production has since been revived in 1998, 1999, 2007 and 2008.
This design featured in the 2016 New York Public Library's Exhibition of Magical Designs for Mozart's Magic Flute which compared 'scenic and costume designs from a select group of 19th, 20th, and 21st century productions extolled for their remarkable visual achievement'.
Reproduced in Drawing Blood on p. 241