- 143
JEAN-PAUL RIOPELLE | Composition
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Composition
- oil on canvas
- 65 by 46 cm. 25 5/8 by 18 1/8 in.
- Executed circa 1966.
Provenance
Galerie Rambert, Paris
Private Collection
Christie's, London, 26 May 1994, Lot 35
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private Collection
Christie's, London, 26 May 1994, Lot 35
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
Yseult Riopelle, Catalogue Raisonné de Jean-Paul Riopelle Tome 4, 1966-1971, Montréal 2004, p. 121, no. 1966.067H.V1966, illustrated in colour
Condition
Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate although the overall tonality is slightly brighter and more vibrant in the original. Condition: This work is in good condition. Close inspection reveals a thin layer of superficial dust that has adhered to the surface, and some light discolouration to the varnish on the white areas. Further close inspection reveals some hairline cracks to some of the areas of thicker impasto. Visible only when examined out of its frame is some frame rubbing to all four edges and corner tips with associated small losses and cracks in places. There is a small loss towards the lower centre of the composition, approximately 20cm. from the lower edge. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals two spots of uneven fluorescence which correspond to a consolidated network of cracks.
"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
"The painting must work itself out. I never tell myself, for instance, that I have to paint like this or like that to get one effect or another. If I reach that point, I stop. It’s dangerous ... because then I am on the technical side of painting. There is always some solution to improve a painting that isn’t working. But this does not interest me. It loses its emotional unity. Because technique will unfortunately always win out" (Jean-Paul Riopelle cited in Michel Waldberg, ‘Riopelle, The Absolute Gap’, in: Yseult Riopelle, Riopelle: Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. I 1939-1954, Montreal 1999, pp. 39-54).