John Becker, London
By descent to the previous owner from the above

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum; London, Tate Gallery; New York, Museum of Modern Art; Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Willem de Kooning, September 1968 - September 1969, cat. no. 1, pp. 27 and 160, illustrated 
New York, Berry-Hill Galleries, Toward a New American Cubism, May - July 2006, pl. 36, p. 78, illustrated in color
Purchase, Neuberger Museum of Art; Fort Worth, Amon Carter Museum of American Art; Andover, Addison Gallery of American Art, American Vanguards: Graham, Davis, Gorky, de Kooning and Their Circle, 1927-1942, January - December 2012, cat. no. 37, p. 73, illustrated in color 

Thomas B. Hess, Willem de Kooning, New York, 1959, no. 11, p. 40, illustrated
Harry F. Gaugh, Willem de Kooning, New York, 1983, no. 4, p. 12, illustrated
Exh. Cat., New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Willem de Kooning: Drawings, Paintings, Sculpture, 1983, fig. 6, p. 121, illustrated
Sally Yard, Willem de Kooning: The First 26 Years in New York, New York, 1986
Diane Waldman, Willem de Kooning, New York, 1988, fig. 5, p. 20, illustrated

This work is in good condition overall. There is evidence of wear and handling toward the edges, resulting in some rubbing and spots of paint loss. There is scattered craquelure throughout the canvas, particularly in the white upper center portion and lower left red and black areas. The canvas is rippled at the top center, in the black-painted portion. Ultraviolet light inspection reveals scattered spots of retouching along the edges, in the white painted portions, the upper right area of the left gray shape, and the majority of the gray spherical shape on the right side. Framed.
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.