Françoise Gilot’s Young Girl and Pelican or Woman with a Seagull comes from the collection of the late William (Bill) Snyder, a friend of the French painter and her husband at the time, Dr. Jonas Salk, and a proud collector of the artist’s work. Born in Mississippi, Snyder founded a successful porcelain and ceramics factory in Tennessee, which he eventually sold and then moved to the West Coast, settling in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego. It was here where Snyder began to attend races at Del Mar and Santa Anita with his friends, eventually becoming involved in buying and racing directly.
William (Bill) Snyder (center, wearing khaki pants and a white short sleeve collared shirt), at Del Mar racetrack in 1985 It was around the same time Snyder settled in La Jolla that Françoise Gilot met her second husband, Jonas Salk. After marrying in 1970, Salk and Gilot eventually settled in the same seaside idyllic neighborhood. Belonging to the same vibrant social circles and members of the same walking groups, Salk and Snyder became friends, after which Snyder quickly became a collector and friend of Gilot’s as well. The three friends bonded over their shared love of horses, attending many of the same races. It was through this friendship with Salk and Gilot that Snyder acquired a handful of paintings and monotypes by the artist.
Inscribed betting ticket by Gilot given to Snyder, reading “Blue Chips and Thoroughbreds will always make it in the end.” Undoubtedly inspired by her Southern California surroundings, each of the works in Snyder’s collection provides an intimate look at Gilot’s life and the friendships she formed during this time.
Snyder is remembered today for his close relationship with his children and grandchildren, and a shared love of art, the ocean and horses that connected him to Gilot decades ago.
The inscribed front page of Francoise Gilot: An Artist’s Journey, 1987, to Bill “To Bill who owns “The Dog Barking at the Moon” “At the beach” and “Woman with a sea-gull” I hope that you will find new things to enjoy about them as time goes by – Sincerely Françoise Gilot / December 4th 1987”.
Provenance
Riggs Gallery, La Jolla
William (Bill) Snyder, La Jolla (acquired from the above)
Thence by descent to the present ownerCatalogue Essay
This work is registered in the Françoise Gilot archives with the number G.2707
Property from the Collection of William (Bill) Snyder
70
Young Girl and Pelican
1987
Mixed media in colors, on handmade wove paper, the full sheet.
S. 15 1/4 x 22 1/2 in. (38.7 x 57.2 cm)
Signed, titled, dated and annotated 'Monotype Painting' in pencil, framed.
Estimate
$1,500 - 2,000
Sold for $7,620
Editions@phillips.com
212 940 1220
Editions & Works on Paper
New York Auction 21 June 2023
119
This lot is no longer available.
