oil on canvas

Private Collection, Caracas
Sale: Christie's, New York, The Latin American Sale: Important Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, November 24, 1998, lot 4, illustrated in color

Juan Calzadilla, Armando Reverón, Caracas, Ernesto Armitano Editor, 1979, p. 347, no. 515, illustrated

This delicate painting which has been painted on primed canvas using light touches, seems to be in very healthy condition. The canvas is unlined and the paint layer has not been cleaned, varnished or retouched. The picture today is as the artist would have intended, even though no restoration has occurred. This painting should be hung as is. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

In his early 40's, Armando Reverón took refuge in the increasingly fanta𒁏stic environment of his studio compound "El Castillete" on the outskirts of Macuto, a small resort town in the Caribbean coastal waters of Venezuela. He loved to paint portraits and his continuing interest in this classic genre eventually led to the remarkable staged figuℱrative paintings of his later career.

The model in India con Collar Verde was most certainly his wife, Juanita Ríos.  She is barely adorned for this painting with a feather headband and a beaded necklace. Alfredo Boulton, Reverón´s first supporter, critic, and friend, photog🌱raphed Juanita posing as an "Indian" woman as early as 1933. These "primitive" fantasies soon became part of Reverón's personal mythology as they populated his canvases. Visitors and models were often asked to dress up as "natives" when they entered his enclave. By so doing Reverón turned the visitors into actors in his imaginary stories.

Reverón is often spoken of as a painter who constructed space through light. India con Collar Verde is a wonderful example of Reverón's skill at revealing his subject.  A simple brushstroke line defines the figure against a white background. Volumes are rendered by removing paint to reveal the brownish, raw canvas below and are enhanced by adding touches of white on the leg, arm and face. Color is only suggested in the head dress and in very subtle touches that define the background. Dark, earthy colors are delicately applied to the hair and at the bottom of the painting to give weight to an otherwise ethereal composition. By filling the canvas with Juanita's form her presence seems monumental, as she appears to emerge from a 🔯world of dreams.