Details

Provenance

Allan Stone Gallery, New York Christoff Thurman, New York (acquired from the above in 1964) Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1980 Condition This work is in very good condition overall. Please contact the Contemporary Art deparment at +1 212 606 7254 for a copy of the condition report prepared by Terrence Mahon. Framed. 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. Catalogue Note Wayne Thiebaud's lushly painted images of confectionary delicacies and common objects launched him into the international art scene of the early 1960s. His images, despite depicting banal food and commercial items, challenged traditionally perceived notions of representation and abstraction. In the artist's Bananas from 1963, the ripe yellow fruit transforms beyond objecthood and into a study on form, color, volume, light and shadow. Thiebaud's still-lifes are as much nostalgic snap shots as they are explorations of materiality and paint. Thiebaud was initially aligned with the Pop Art movement because of his choice of commercial objects as subjects. In comparing the concerns of Pop artists with those of Thiebaud, however, there is an essential distinction to be made. Pop artists adopted a detached point of view, utilizing mediums that effectively eliminate the artist’s hand. By contrast, Thiebaud was fascinated by how subtle manipulations of paint can transform the visual perception of the objects portrayed. The quotidian edibles depicted in Thiebaud’s pictures act as a vehicle for the artist to play with color, light and composition. In Bananas, the flat white background exaggerates the frontal, central placement of the bunch. The surface on which the bananas rest is only implied by the piercing horizontal blue and orange line which divides the canvas. Pulsating with an unusual energy, the bananas vibrate from the juxtaposition of the warm and cool tones that line their edges. These electric hues extend to the color of the exaggerated and saturated shadows that also work to define the depth of the composition, lending an air of nostalgia to the work. The subject matter calls to mind Giorgio de Chirico's 1913 masterpiece The Uncertainty of the Poet , permanently housed at the Tate Museum in London. De Chirico integrated bananas in several of his most successful works as a means to anchor his dream-like scenes to the immediate and real contemporary world. Upright, perky, and perfectly ripe, Thiebaud's Bananas pay homage to the Surrealist master, inviting the viewer to both embrace the sentimental familiarity of the subject while focusing on its reduced objectivity. Simultaneously representational and abstract, Bananas is an excellent example of the heart of Thiebaud’s artistic practice and his ability to transform a common object into an engaging and complex painting.

Catalog summary

Wayne Thiebaud Bananas signed and dated 1963 ; signed and dated 1963 on the stretcher oil on canvas 14 by 18 in. 35.6 by 45.7 cm. Provenance Allan Stone Gallery, New York Christoff Thurman, New York (acquired from the above in 1964) Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1980 Condition This work is in very good condition overall. Please contact the Contemporary Art deparment at +1 212 606 7254 for a copy of the condition report prepared by Terrence Mahon. Framed. 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. Catalogue Note Wayne Thiebaud's lushly painted images of confectionary delicacies and common objects launched him into the international art scene of the early 1960s. His images, despite depicting banal food and commercial items, challenged traditionally perceived notions of representation and abstraction. In the artist's Bananas from 1963, the ripe yellow fruit transforms beyond objecthood and into a study on form, color, volume, light and shadow. Thiebaud's still-lifes are as much nostalgic snap shots as they are explorations of materiality and paint. Thiebaud was initially aligned with the Pop Art movement because of his choice of commercial objects as subjects. In comparing the concerns of Pop artists with those of Thiebaud, however, there is an essential distinction to be made. Pop artists adopted a detached point of view, utilizing mediums that effectively eliminate the artist’s hand. By contrast, Thiebaud was fascinated by how subtle manipulations of paint can transform the visual perception of the objects portrayed. The quotidian edibles depicted in Thiebaud’s pictures act as a vehicle for the artist to play with color, light and composition. In Bananas, the flat white background exaggerates the frontal, central placement of the bunch. The surface on which the bananas rest is only implied by the piercing horizontal blue and orange line which divides the canvas. Pulsating with an unusual energy, the bananas vibrate from the juxtaposition of the warm and cool tones that line their edges. These electric hues extend to the color of the exaggerated and saturated shadows that also work to define the depth of the composition, lending an air of nostalgia to the work. The subject matter calls to mind Giorgio de Chirico's 1913 masterpiece The Uncertainty of the Poet , permanently housed at the Tate Museum in London. De Chirico integrated bananas in several of his most successful works as a means to anchor his dream-like scenes to the immediate and real contemporary world. Upright, perky, and perfectly ripe, Thiebaud's Bananas pay homage to the Surrealist master, inviting the viewer to both embrace the sentimental familiarity of the subject while focusing on its reduced objectivity. Simultaneously representational and abstract, Bananas is an excellent example of the heart of Thiebaud’s artistic practice and his ability to transform a common object into an engaging and complex painting.