Sale: Hôtel Georges V, Paris, October 29, 1974, lot 69
Bernard Danenberg Galleries, New York
Mitsukoshi Gallery, Japan
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1980

New London, Lyman Allyn Museum

Jean Kisling, Kisling 1891-1953, Turin, 1982, no. 62, illustrated p. 307

Canvas is wax lined. Surface is clean. Under UV light: several small spots of inpainting correspond to a crackling pattern present in the background of the painting and around the outside perimeter of the central figure. There does not appear to be any retouching to the figure herself or in the depicted textile hanging at the right of the canvas. Overall the work is in 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.
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.

Executed in the artist's studio in Montparnasse, Khera is the archetypal example of the Kisling nude. Her features are rendered with such volumetric precision that she appears idealized and doll-like, even as the tonality of her skin shimmers with lifelike energy. Thus is the tension found in Kisling's oeuvre—he articulates the female form in such perfected plasticity that, when certain features are altered or exaggerated, the resulting character is infused with a certain super-human quality. Here this sensation is underscored by Khera's large and empty eyes, black orbs which stand out in their intensity against the vivacious coloring of her face.