Enrique Grau - Latin America New York Tuesday, November 21, 2017 | Phillips

Latin America

New York Auction 21 November 2017

  • Provenance

    Private Collection of Regina Grau, Colombia (gifted from the artist)
    By descent to Private Collection, Colombia

  • Catalogue Essay

    Born in Panamá and raised in Cartagena, Neo-figurative artist Enrique Grau is remembered for his contributions to Colombian art in the 20th century. Grau studied at the Arts Student League of New York from 1941-1943 and in 1959 was honored with the National Prize in the Salon of Latin American Art, Cartagena. By 1972, he became the Director of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena. Best known for his depictions of Amerindian and Afro-Colombian figures, Grau’s paintings commonly include one or more figures combined with decorative still life elements exquisitely balanced, often in dreamlike settings.

    In the present lot, Grau presents a portrait of a woman at three quarter length wearing a red dress. Her eyes gaze down at her hands entangled in string, referencing cat’s cradle, the history of which has been linked to many indigenous cultures throughout the world. To the right of the figure is a cup set on top of a table and in the forefront an exquisite geometric structure stands. This painting has a mystical quality and like many of Grau’s works employs a flattened picture plane, encouraging the viewer to focus on the shapes and colors that build the figure and objects included.

42

Enrique Grau

Untitled

signed and dated "Grau 55" upper left
oil on canvas
33 1/4 x 27 5/8 in. (84.5 x 70.2 cm)
Painted in 1955, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by the Estate of Enrique Grau.

Estimate
$40,000 - 60,000 

Sold for $81,250

Contact Specialist
Kaeli Deane
Head of Department, Americas
New York
+1 212 940 1352

Latin America

New York Auction 21 November 2017