Sotheby's NYC Auction of Latin American Art Features Major Works by Tamayo, Botero and Lam

Written by Ralph Chamberlain Thursday, 17 November 2011 01:28

New York City.- Sotheby’s November 2011 Latin American Sale will highlight a retrospective selection of works by the great Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo and the Venezuelan Kinetic artist Jesús Rafael Soto. The cover lot, Tamayo's vibrant "Watermelon Slices", 1950, headlines the selection of this artist’s work in the sale. "Watermelon Slices" epitomizes one of Tamayo's most recognized themes, which often served as a vehicle for an unparalleled use of color from this master of pigment. The reds, oranges, pinks and purples pulse throughout the composition giving the painting a mesmerizing glow. This boldness of color and the subsequent abstraction of figures is seen in the early 1928 "Frutero y Dominó" to the 1951 "Tres personajes", and "El Tragafuego", 1955.

Leading a strong group of Kinetic artists such as Gego, Cruz-Diez and Palatnik, the nine constructions by Jesús Rafael Soto stretch from the early 1966 Vibración to the large complex stable wall-piece Color vertical, 1995. Alfredo Ramos Martínez' iconic "India del lago" is one of his rare works on canvas and one of the most important Ramos Martínez' paintings to come to auction in many years. This painting is the epitome of his mature style which incorporated art deco while coupling the portrayal of the strong and graceful indian women of Mexico. The brilliant blues and reds together with the yellows form a colorful pattern which takes the painting beyond figuration. Other highlights include the surrealist works "Esa guerra desnuda", Roberto Matta’s 1937 masterwork on paper, and his 1950s canvas’ "Re-Evolvers" and "Lispard du Mêdi", in addition to Wifredo Lam’s "Bonjour Monsieur Lam", 1959. Diego Rivera is represented with a number of watercolors, including "Mujer Cargando Alcatraces", from 1937, "Hombre con Burro y Olla" from 1941 as well as "Barbara" an oil on canvas from 1940. Other artists featured in the auction include Fernando Botero, Claudio Bravo, Alejandro Xul Solar, Emiliano di Cavalcanti and Jose Celemente Orozco.

Sotheby’s was founded in London on March 11, 1744, when Samuel Baker auctioned “several Hundred scarce and valuable books” from the library of the Rt Hon Sir John Stanley for a few hundred pounds. The story of Sotheby’s expansion beyond books to include the best in fine and decorative arts and jewellery is also the story of the global auction market, defined by extraordinary moments that continue to capture the world’s attention. Since 1744, Sotheby’s has distinguished itself as a leader in the auction world. Their auctions, conducted in the venerable salerooms in London and Paris, the museum-quality galleries of their headquarters in New York and the spirited environs of Hong Kong rivet audiences worldwide. Season after season, the depth and excellence of Sotheby’s offerings have produced watershed, record-breaking sales. Sotheby’s has been entrusted with the sale of many of the world's treasures, amongst them: Napoleon’s St Helena library, the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels, the Estate of Mrs Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rembrandt’s Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, Rubens’ Massacre of the Innocents, Pablo Picasso’s Garçon à la Pipe, Francis Bacon’s Triptych, 1976, The Grand Ducal Collections of Baden, the Qianlong Yellow-Ground Famille-Rose Double-Gourd Vase, the 5,000-year-old Guennol Lioness, Giacometti’s L’Homme Qui Marche I, the Magna Carta, the first printing of the Declaration of Independence and The Martin Luther King Jr Collection. Sotheby’s has long recognised that great works of art, as well as the collectors interested in consigning and acquiring them, inhabit the global sphere. They were the first international auction house to expand from London to New York in 1955, and the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong and the then–Soviet Union. Today they maintain 90 locations in 40 countries and they conduct 250 auctions each year in over 70 categories. In addition to their four principal salerooms, the company, recognising the potential in new markets, also conducts auctions in six other salerooms around the world, further expanding its global reach. Visit the auction house's website at ... http://www.sothebys.com

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