HAROLD ANCART | Untitled

Xavier Hufkens Gallery, Brussels
Acquired from the above by the present owner

This work is in very good condition overall. The top and bottom edges of the sheet are deckled. Under very close inspection, there are a few soft creases at the extreme edges, inherent to the artist's working method and chosen medium. Under very close inspection and raking light, there is an area of drying cracks 8 ½ inches from the right edge and 16 ½ inches from the top edge. A very light and unobtrusive layer of dust has adhered to the surface. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Framed in an artist's frame.
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 history of painting that lives in these works like chromosomal traces enriches such dimensional unknowns. Fauvist and Symbolist flavors are joined by AbEx and Minimalist devices [...] Discrete veins of color and encroaching edges recall Clyfford Still’s seismic fissures [...] This is the planet of painting, after all, and Ancart’s space exploration is the exploration of painted space: More than depicting petals and flames, how might a painting itself grow like a flower, ignite like fire, and bring about forms that thrive as life-forms in the otherworld it always is?" Chinnie Ding, "Critics' Picks: Harold Ancart," Artforum, 18 June 2015, n.p.