PHILIP GUSTON | Doyer I

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Collection of George W. Clark, Virginia
David McKee Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner in April 1976

New York, Sidney Janis Gallery, 29 Recent Paintings by Philip Guston, December 1959 - January 1960, cat. no. 23, illustrated
Los Angeles, Dwan Gallery, Philip Guston, Franz Kline, April 1961, cat. no. 9
Seattle Art Museum, The Richard and Jane Lang Collection, February - April 1984, cat. no. 15, p. 30, illustrated

This work is in very good condition overall. The colors are bright, fresh and clean. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges, including some small areas of delamination to the board along the lateral edges and corners. Under very close inspection, there are a few scattered pinpoint and unobtrusive losses, most notably a pinpoint loss in the blue in the lower right corner and in the gray above the yellow on the left side. Under very close inspection and under extreme raking light, some scattered faint hairline drying cracks are visible in the impastoed areas, all of which appear to be stable. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Framed under Plexiglas.
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.

The present selection of works brought together by Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis offers a beautifully microcosmic representation of a seminal moment in art history. As a collection it represents a fascinating and comprehensive story of provenance, with many of the most important dealers, patrons, and critics of the era represented, including Peggy Guggenheim, Clement Greenberg, Samuel Kootz, David McKee, Andre Emmerich, and Marlborough Gallery. The Langs collected many artists in depth, and returned to trusted dealers and advisors time and again to help them assemble a narrative of each artist’s oeuvre. Such a partner was David McKee, with whom they shared their passion: “It's like a trinity of experiences when the artist does his thing, you do your thing, and the collector does his thing. And you're dependent on each other. And it grows over time, and it becomes immensely fulfilling that way” (David McKee, quoted in Kathy Goncharov, “Oral History Interview with David McKee,” Archives of American Art, The Smithsonian Institution, 30 June 2009). As a result, the Langs built a truly impressive collection that elegantly encapsulates the most prominent themes, artists, and tastemakers of a revolutionary moment in art history.  One such artist is Franz Kline, whose Untitled No. 11 was the Langs’ first important purchase, and whose work they often acquired from McKee. The works offered here represent an encyclopedic look at the artist’s oeuvre, beginning with an early depiction of pigeons that once belonged to the artist’s brother Jack; the birds are drawn with a strong black line that anticipates the artist’s best known works. Indeed, among others, the group also includes a characteristic gouache on telephone book paper from 1950 that perfectly mirrors Kline’s celebrated large scale black and white abstract paintings first shown at Egan Gallery that same year. Those works were famously inspired by a conversation between Kline and Willem de Kooning, who had the idea that Kline should project images of his sketches onto the walls of his studio. de Kooning, perhaps the ultimate master of Abstract Expressionism, is also represented in the Langs’ collection with the vigorous and sumptuous Figure with Red Hair.

Another artist whose work the Langs acquired from David McKee is Philip Guston. McKee maintained a lasting relationship with Guston, and when he left Marlborough Gallery and opened his own space in 1974, he did so with a triumphant show of Guston’s figurative paintings. The present example, Doyer I, is an earlier abstract work from his period of association with the New York School, and was one of 8 gouaches the artist showed at Sidney Janis in 1958. Its title, likely inspired by Doyers Street in Chinatown, is a captivating tribute to the downtown arts scene, and its composition recalls the city sky line and rooftops of the artist’s city surrounds.

No discussion of the New York School would be complete without mention of the distinguished and taste-making dealer André Emmerich, who is also represented here. Hans Hofmann’s View from the Balcony was acquired from Emmerich’s gallery following a major exhibition of the artist’s work, the catalogue for which featured the present work on the cover. Emmerich was among the first dealers to champion the second generation of Abstract Expressionist painters, many of whom he met through his friendship with Robert Motherwell.

Motherwell, too, is included in the Langs’ collection. The present example, Three Important Personages, was included in the artist’s first solo show at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in 1944. Upon reviewing the exhibition, preeminent critic Clement Greenberg declared that Motherwell, along with Jackson Pollock, would be a defining voice in the future of American painting. In showing works by these emerging Americans alongside European modern masters, the exhibition was crucial in redefining the canon and establishing New York over Paris as new epicenter of the art world. Likewise tied to Guggenheim and her legacy is Adolph Gottlieb, whose Evil Eye is offered here. A prime example of the artist’s Pictographs, it once belonged to Karl Nierendorf, Gottlieb’s first dealer and champion. Nierendorf’s estate was bought by the Guggenheim and remained in the collection until the Langs acquired it. 

Taken together, the works from the Langs’ collection captivatingly documents an electrifying and pivotal moment in the history of art. Their lasting relationships with dealers, their enduring interest in artists they admired, and their educated understanding of the dominant themes and driving forces that defined an era are all distilled into the present selection. The nuance and attention paid to acquiring not only great masterpieces, but also important works on paper and early paintings, demonstrates the enthralling passion, great dedication and academic rigor with which the Langs collected.

"I think every good painter here in New York really paints a self-portrait. I think a painter has two choices: he paints the world or himself. And I think the best painting that’s done here is when he paints himself, and by himself, I mean himself in this environment. In this total situation.” 
Philip Guston



The Guston Foundation will include this work in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the paintings of Philip Guston.