Lot
39, "Cantante," by Fernando Botero, charcoal, sanguine and ochre on
canvas, 47 by 39 1/2 inches, 2013
Another good work by Botero is Lot
39, a charcoal, sanguine and ochre on canvas entitled "Cantante."
It measures 47 by 39 1/2 inches and was created in 2013. It has
an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $336,500.
Lot
15, "The Bird Charmer," by Rufino Tamayo, oil on canvas, 60 1/4 by 50
1/4 inches, 1945
Lot
15 is a large oil on canvas by Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) entitled "The
Bird Charmer." It measures 60 1/4 by 50 1/4 inches and was
painted in 1945. It has been widely exhibited includiug the 1979
Tamayo retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York
and widely published.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"This monumental work was exhibited in 1946 at Tamayo's fourth
individual and highly successful show at Valentine Gallery. At
the time, Valentine was one of the leading galleries in America: it had
hosted the first exhibitions of De Chirico, Kandinsky, Miro and
Mondrian in New York. It also held important retrospectives of
Matisse, Picasso and Utrillo. It was at Valentine that Picasso's
masterpiece Guernica was
exhibited at the start of its American tour to raise funds to the
almost extinct Spanish Republic. It on these historical walls
that John and Dominique de Meil first saw The Bird Charmer and acquired
it for their modernist home in Houston, designed in 1948 by architect
Philip Johnson."
The painting has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $5,000,000. It sold for $4,287,500.
Lot 12, "Hombre con un
farol," by Rufino Tamayo, oil and sand on canvas, 55 1/4 by 69 inches,
1977
A far
more attractive although less important historically Tamayo painting is
Lot 12, "Hombre con un farol." An oil and sand on canvas, it
measures 55 1/4 by 69 inches and was painted in 1977.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"Triumphantly released from the domain of pure abstraction, elongated
thinned personages evoking isolated and otherworldly beings are tasked
with repopulating and redefining space. Left behind at the richly
applied shades of reds, pinks and deep purple hues that so lavishly
imbued Tamayo's canvases with Parisian sensuality and
indulgence....Lacking any facial features, the main character turns
introspectively in search of meaning and identity, a perpetual
existential quest. References to reality, never truly abandoned
by the artist, are further materialized through the theatricality of
the stage and the presence of monumental archetypes next to functional
objects painted in an unusual scale: a gray ball floating amid space
and an impossibly shortened street lantern in the foreground."
It was offered at Christie's New York in the Spring of 2009 when it
has an ambitious
estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 and sold
for $386,500. This time it has an
estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $672,500.
Lot 8, "Retrato de la
Actriz Matilde de Palou," by Diego Rivera, oil on canvas, 80 1/2 by 48
1/4 inches, 1951
Lot 8
is an impressive, large portrait of the Chilian actress Matilde de
Palou by Diego Rivera (1886-1957). An oil on canvas, it measures
80 1/2 by 48 1/4 inches and was painted in 1951. It
is property of Jann Wenner and was once owned by Kenneth Franzheim, the
architect.
A catalogue essay by art historian Luis-Martin Lozano provides the
following commentary:
"Arriving in Mexico in the early 1930s, Matilde Palou rose to
prominence as a leading lady of the film industry at a time of great
expansion known as the 'Golden Age of national cinema.' Matilde
Palou not only possessed a great stage presence, as this portrait makes
evident, but she had ample dramatic skills developed during her years
of training in the theater and the zarzuela: a talent which led her to
play powerful supporting roles in unforgettable Latin American films
such as: Cuando los padres se quedan solosrs (When parents are left
behind) and El dolor los hijos (The pain of children), both introduced
in 1949; to work under renowned Spanish filmmaker, Luis Bunuel, as the
jealous and vengeful Dona Carmen in Susana, the impure and perverse,
filmed in 1951, the same year that Diego Rivera painted her portrait."
This luscious lot has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,412,500.
Lot
20, "The Troubadour," by Remedios Varo, oil on masonite, 4 1/2 by 9
inches, 1959
Lot 20 is an enchanting small oil on masonite by Remedios Varo
(1908-1963) entitled "The Troubadour." It measures 4 1/2 by 9
inches and was painted in 1959. It has been widely published.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"The remarkable creativity evidenced in the work of Remedios Varo stand
as some of the most significant contributions to the story of
Surrealism. The complex matrix of influences that serve as the
foundatonal architecture and iconography for her paintings - from
medieval history and Greek mythology to scientific reason and alchemy,
nature, music, and pagan practices - is uniquely her own. While
Varo's reality is abundant with fantasia, she presents her pictorial
universe with a scientific sensibility: a methodical explanation of the
mystical....
"Almost a decade prior to painting this work, Varo travelled with her
then new lover and companion, the French pilot Jean Nicolle and a team
of scientists to the Orinoco River in Venezuela. To finance this
trip, Varo took a job with the Department of Public Health 'for which
she made drawings of microscopic enlargements' of insects.
Eventually becoming anxious to return to Mexico, her adoptive home
country, she found herself with no money for the return voyage and
decided to search for gold in the Orinoco River. Varo would
eventually draw upon this pivotal adventure as a rich source of
inspiration and visual imagery....
"Varo situates a troubador within a fantastic, siren-esque boat
surrounded by an incredible natural life force of dense forest and
swarming birds - echoing not only the epic length of the Orinoco River
itself, one of the largest river systems in the world, but also its
rich wildlife; home of over one-thousand species of birds....
"Deep in the mysterious, unending forest, the troubadour finds himself
surrounded by female earth: the comforting siren, the dryad (the female
tree nymph from Greek mythology) unveiling herself with song, the
almost-life-sized birds peering at the lonely voyager. The quest
of the troubadour suddently becomes a journey of mystical revelation
and spiritual awe."
The lot has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $972,500.
Lot 19, ""The White
Goddess," by Leonora Carrington, oil on canvas, 11 3/4 inches by 22
inches, 1958
Another
superb Surrealist painting is Lot 19, "The White Goddess," an oil on
canvas by Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) that measures 11 3/4 by 22
inches. It was painted in 1958.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"Surrounded by a group of animals, Carrington wields a reference to the
animal spirits that were strongly believed by both Celtic and
Mesoamerican cultures to serve as protective companion guides for each
person. Peaceful birds, oftentimes representations of messengers
from and guards of the spiritual world, patiently rest in the bottom
right of the composition. An almost transparent white snake with
lavishly bejeweled eyes wraps itself around eggs, both symbols of
rejuvenation and renewal, in the bottom left corner. The most
remarkable companion is the starry-eyed wolf entranced by the white
goddess. Commonly represented as an elusive, predatory figure and even
a prankster, the wold in Celtic mythology holds a much more meaningful
role. Typically an emblem of bravery and a companion to the gods,
the wolf serves as a guide in conquering the unknown and as a mediator
of protection. However, it is this female, otherworldly figure
that is possiblty, and purposefully, the most mysterious. Upon
first glance, what could be interpreted as Carrington's version
of the Biblical tale of Susanna and the Elders may also in fact be her
uniting the mysteries of Celtic and Mesoamerican traditions into a
wondrous fairytale-like scene. Her white skin, a harkening to the
purity of the Susanna of Western tales also alludes to her potential
identity as that of the sacred Celtic deity (Brighid (Brigit), also
known as the goddess of poetry - the protector of storytellers,
mythologists and folklorists - or could she me Niniane (The Lady of the
Lake), a fay of Celtic lore who is both a powerful temptress and a
benevolent protector?"
The lot has an estimate of $700,000 to $900,000. It sold for $732,500.
Lot
22, "Guarjiro con gallo," oil on canvas, 24 1/2 by 19 3/4 inches, 1943
Lot 22
is a very vibrant oil on canvas by Mariano Rodriguez (1912-1990)
entitled "Guarjiro con gallo." It measures 24 1/2 by 19 3/4
inches and was painted in 1943. It was shown at the Museum of
Modern Art in 1944. It has an estimate of $500,000 to
$700,000. It sold for $487,500.
Lot 70, "Energias para
el amor y la bondad," by Manuel Mendive, 21 parts, acrylic on canvas
with canvas collage and cowrie shells, 110 3/4 by 78 inches (painting),
2015
The
auction's most spectacular work is Lot 70, "Energias para el amor y
bondad," by Manuel Mendive (b. 1944). The painting measures 110
3/4 by 78 inches and was painted in 2015. It has an estimate of $40,000
to $60,000. It sold for $125,000.
Lot 53, "Untitled," by
Matta, oil on canvas, 40 1/8 by 60 inches, 1963
Lot 53
is a strong, untitled oil on canvas by Matta (1811-2002) that measures
40 1/8 by 60 inches and was painted in 1963. It has an estimate
of $300,000 to $500,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot
23, "Dogon," by Agustin Cardenas, white Carrara marble, 55 inches high,
1973
Lot 23 is a very good white
Carrara marble sculpture by Agustin Cardenas (1927-2001) entitled
"Dogon." It has an estimate of $125,000 to $175,000. It sold for $225,000.
Latin
American Contemporary Art
Lot 12, "Madre Cava,"
by Gonzalo Fonseca, travertine marble, 153 1/2 inches long, 1978
Lot
12 is a great travertine marble sculpture by Gonzalo Fonseca
(1922-1997) entited "Madre Cava." It is 153 1/2 inches long and
was created in 1978. It is being offered from the catalogue
and is not available for inspection. Fonseca jointed the Taller
Torres-Garcia in 1942 and would create an imaginary world of ruins made
of fragmented architectural and geometric forms and symbols. In
the early 1970s, he bought an abandoned quarry near Carrara and this
work was planned to be exhibited along with three other large
sculpture. This lot was an estimate of $500,000 to
$700,000. It failed to sell.
Of the 31 lots offered in the contemporary art auction, 24 were sold
for a total of $4,040,252. The top three lots were by Jesus
Rafael Soto with lot 13 selling for $816,500, well over its pre-sale
high estimate of $700,000.
Lot 20, "Impero,"
by Antonio Dias, oil on canvas, 47 1/4 inches square, 1984
Lot 20
is a fine abstract oil on canvas by Antonio Dias (b. 1944) entitled
"Impero." It is 47 1/4 inches square and was painted in
1984. It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 26, "Textura de
Nuestro Lado," by Antonio Segui, acrylic, pastel and cloth collage on
canvas, 69 by 58 3/4 inches, 1989
Lot
26 is a very fine acrylic, pastel and cloth collage on canvas by
Antonio Segui (b. 1934) that is entitled "Textura de Nuestro
Lado." It measures 69 by 58 3/4 inches and painted in 1989.
It has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $100,000.
Lot 24, "Trashumates," by Fernando de Szyszlo, acrylic on canvas, 69 by
46 7/8 inches, 2003
Lot
24 is a strong abstract acrylic on canvas by Fernando de Szyszlo (b.
1925). Entitled "Trashumates," it measures 69 by 46 7/8 inches and was
painted in 2003. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $62,500.
Lot
23, "Mar de Lurin," by Fernando de Syszlo, acrylic on canvas, 69 by 47
1/2 inches, 1988
Another
strong work by Syszlo is Lot 23, "Mar de Lurin," an acrylic on canvas
that measures 69 by 47 1/2 inches. It was painted in 1988.
It has an estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,500.
