Details

Provenance

Sprüth Magers, Berlin Private Collection Simon Lee Gallery, London Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exhibited

Berlin, Sprüth Magers, Family Portraits , January - April 2010

Literature

Roberto Bolaño, “The Writer is Gravely Ill,” Harper's Magazine , August 2010, p. 18, illustrated in color Condition This work is in very good condition overall. Upon extremely close inspection there is a very fine network of stable drying cracks to the left of the head of the most left figures. Upon further extremely close inspection there are some paintbrush hairs which have adhered to the surface. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is a small area, about 1 inch in size, which fluoresces lightly to the extreme left edge, about 10 inches from the bottom left edge of the composition and put does not appear to be the result of inpainting and could possibly be by the hand of the artist and from the time of execution. Unframed. 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 "I'm exaggerating and personifying some of their extreme emotional vicissitudes [...] And I love the freedom to capture that in painting, where it’s like, these are the limits of hysteria, these are the limits of humanity, this is how far people really take it, and how far I see them take it. And I guess that was the other thing I got from Picasso. It’s the idea of Cubism—but rather than seeing and depicting this coffee cup, say, from four different angles at the same time, I’m seeing a personality from multiple angles at once. Instead of space being my subject, I’m painting all of someone’s emotional potentialities at once, and that’s what I’d call Psychological Cubism." George Condo

Catalog summary

Description George Condo The Strangers signed and dated 09 on the reverse oil on canvas 48 by 44 in. 121.9 by 111.7 cm. Provenance Sprüth Magers, Berlin Private Collection Simon Lee Gallery, London Acquired from the above by the present owner Exhibited Berlin, Sprüth Magers, Family Portraits , January - April 2010 Literature Roberto Bolaño, “The Writer is Gravely Ill,” Harper's Magazine , August 2010, p. 18, illustrated in color Condition This work is in very good condition overall. Upon extremely close inspection there is a very fine network of stable drying cracks to the left of the head of the most left figures. Upon further extremely close inspection there are some paintbrush hairs which have adhered to the surface. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is a small area, about 1 inch in size, which fluoresces lightly to the extreme left edge, about 10 inches from the bottom left edge of the composition and put does not appear to be the result of inpainting and could possibly be by the hand of the artist and from the time of execution. Unframed. 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 "I'm exaggerating and personifying some of their extreme emotional vicissitudes [...] And I love the freedom to capture that in painting, where it’s like, these are the limits of hysteria, these are the limits of humanity, this is how far people really take it, and how far I see them take it. And I guess that was the other thing I got from Picasso. It’s the idea of Cubism—but rather than seeing and depicting this coffee cup, say, from four different angles at the same time, I’m seeing a personality from multiple angles at once. Instead of space being my subject, I’m painting all of someone’s emotional potentialities at once, and that’s what I’d call Psychological Cubism." George Condo