WILLEM DE KOONING | Untitled

Benefit Auction for the Living Theater, New York 
Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Ethel Scull, New York
Sotheby's, New York, Contemporary Art from the Estate of the Late Robert C. Scull, 11 November 1986, Lot 10
Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's, New York, 19 November 1996, Lot 21
Private Collection, Washington, D.C.
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Thomas B. Hess, Willem de Kooning Drawings, Greenwich 1972, cat. no. 83, p. 200, illustrated
Exh. Cat., New York, Acquavella Gallery, Robert and Ethel Scull: Portrait of a Collection, 2010, p. 75, illustrated in color
Exh. Cat., New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Willem de Kooning: A Retrospective, 2011 - 2012, fig. 8, p. 288, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is slight pale time staining to the sheet and scattered soft, unobtrusive creases are visible throughout. Under close inspection, there is evidence of wear and handling to the edges, including skinning to the sheet along the right edge 1 inch above the bottom right corner as well as a diagonal crease extending 1 inch at the upper left corner. Under very close inspection, a miniscule nick is visible along the left edge in the center of the sheet. The sheet is hinged verso to the mat at all four corners. 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.

“She could be open-ended and mysterious, from ancient Mesopotamia and also modern Hollywood...She could be mother and wife, monster and lover, a creature at once earthbound and hallucinatory, grotesque, cruel, monumental, cartoonish, and funny—a contemporary goddess who could possess the viewer, but could not, in turn, be possessed.” Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan, de Kooning: An American Master, New York 2004, p. 310