Sonia Delaunay, Paris
Acquired from the estate of the above by the present owner

Guy Habasque & Pierre Francastel, Du Cubisme à l'Art Abstrait, Paris, 1957, no. 244

The panel is sound. There is a small area of retouching towards the upper right corner and several thin lines (the longest being 6cm.) and minor spots and specks of retouching along the right edge in the white background. There is a 3cm. very thin line of retouching along the left edge, a small area of retouching in the lower left corner and a few futher specks of retouching along the lower edge. All retouching is visibe under UV light. Otherwise, apart from few very thin cracks to the support in the centre of the panel and one at the lower edge (all visible in the catalogue illustration), this work is in overall good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter of the present work was the wife of the celebrated Parisian designer Jacques Heim. She is depicted wearing an abstract design that was almost certainly created by her husband from a design by Sonia Delaunay. Sonia strived for a univeral sense of design and art that would pervade every corner of modern life, what she called Simultaneous Living. Together with Jacques Heim, Sonia Delaunay opened a fashion studio in 1924 and, over the course of her artistic career, she created designs for textiles, clothing and even automobiles.

Fig. 1, Jacques Heim models wearing ensembles designed by Sonia Delaunay and posing with a Citroën B12 painted after the artist's design, Paris, 1925.