David McKee Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in February 1986

New York, David McKee Gallery, Sean Scully: Paintings 1985-1986, October 1986, pl. 3, illustrated
Washington, D.C., The Corcoran Gallery of Art, 40th Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting, April - June 1987
London, Whitechapel Art Gallery; Munich, Stådtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus; Madrid, Palacio de Velázquez del Retiro; Sean Scully: Paintings & Works on Paper 1982-88, May - November 1989, illustrated in color
Washington, D.C., Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; Atlanta, High Museum of Art; Barcelona, Fundació La Caixa; Dublin, The Irish Museum of Modern Art; Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Sean Scully: Twenty Years, 1976-1995, June 1995 - December 1996, cat. no. 25, illustrated
Durham, The Duke University Museum of Art, Art Stars: An Alumnus Collects, August 2003 - February 2004
Durham, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University (Extended Loan)

Maurice Poirier, Sean Scully, New York, 1990, pl. 85, illustrated
David Carrier, Sean Scully, London, 2004, p. 120, illustrated

This work is in very good condition overall. The surface is fresh and clean. There is evidence of light wear and handling toward the edges, resulting in some very minor and unobtrusive craquelure. Under ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
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.

“There’s a lot of force to these paintings. There’s a lot of physical force to them, a lot of tactile sexual energy, a lot of sensuality.  But there’s a lot of uncertainty about what the relationship between the parts actually means and I think that that’s a very important aspect of my work. I mean if I have to choose a course between Puritanism and extreme romanticism, I think it’s clear than I’m going to choose extreme romanticism. But I think what I can contribute is something that has both in it, something that has the possibility of both in it, and it’s that extreme stretch that I want to try to achieve in my work. That’s my ambition.” Sean Scully (Public lecture at Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin, March 11, 1994)