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What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part IV
|
- Sale 6450
Live
| Philadelphia
Jun 25 | 10:00 AM EDT
Live
| Philadelphia
Sale 6450
| Philadelphia
| Philadelphia
Estimate$6,000 – $10,000
Provenance:
Private Collection, Brussels.
Literature:
Virginie Duval and Diane Daval Béran, Vieira Da Silva: Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. II, Albert Skira, Geneva, 1994, p. 33, no. 144 (illustrated).
Lot Essay:
In 1928, at the age of twenty, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva arrived in Paris from Lisbon, eager to develop her work as a painter. She quickly immersed herself in the city’s vibrant avant-garde scene, exhibiting at the Salon des Surindépendants in 1931. The following year, she met the influential gallerist Jeanne Bucher, whom she later described as “a fairy godmother.” The present work reveals a lesser known aspect of the artist's work, a time when, under the influence of Bucher, Vieira da Silva conceived the highly imaginative, playful and poetic children’s book entitled Kô and Kô the Two Eskimos.
The story follows Kô and Kô, two young Eskimos who set off on a whimsical journey in search of the sun. Along the way, they encounter a fantastical cast of characters: penguins, a grumpy bear, Sapinette girls, a bird-seal hybrid, a Six-Legged Horse, and his daughter, the princess, who is rescued by a majestic kite - as shown here. Their odyssey culminates in the mythical city of Port-Méridional, and finally, a magical ascent into the sky aboard two golden elevators.
Though Vieira da Silva invented the story, she felt unable to write it herself, so she enlisted her friend Pierre Guéguen, a contributor to Cahiers d’Art, to write the text. She illustrated the book with twelve vivid gouaches, rich in color and simplicity of form. The book also included cut-out and foldable paper figures designed to be propped up with the book, creating a three-dimensional stage-like experience that matched the narrative. When submitted to a major children’s book publisher, the manuscript was rejected for being “too apocalyptic.” However, Jeanne Bucher stepped in to publish the book herself. For Christmas 1933, she organized an exhibition in her gallery, displaying the gouaches, sketches, and stencils around a Christmas tree.
overall: 11 x 14 in.
In overall very good condition. The sheet is laid entirely down to a large and thicker piece of paper, meaning the examination of its reverse is impossible. The ensemble was originally affixed directly to the glass of the frame via 4 small strips of mesh paper tape at the center of each outer edge. We had to carefully section them off to inspect the work. We n notice two pinholes (each) in the upper left and upper right corners of the larger sheet (the margins essentially). With a second signature (half erased) in the margin, bottom right. The sheet presents even outer edges, and complete corners. Under raking light we notice a diagonal crease running across the sky (just above the flying figure's head and continuing across the kite's eye). This is due to the lining, and to the larger and thicker sheet itself (as proven by the echoed seam as seen verso). We do not otherwise notice any sign of repair, retouch or loss. The variations of color, and gloss are due to the artist's working method, along with the apparent abrasions in the black tower at bottom center: those are part of the original design (as proven by the later version in print). Additional images available upon request.
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