1st Sep, 2019 9:30
Modern & Contemporary Art
79
Maud Sumner (South Africa 1902-1985)
Dorothy
oil on canvas
Signature details: signed bottom right; signed on the stretcher and inscribed with the artist's name and the title on an Everard Read Gallery label on the reverse
oil on canvas
Signature details: signed bottom right; signed on the stretcher and inscribed with the artist's name and the title on an Everard Read Gallery label on the reverse
(1)
91.5 x 72.5 cm
Notes:
As a school girl in Johannesburg Maud Sumner received art lessons from AE Gyngell (1866-1949) but family members advised her to consider an academic career above that of a career as fine artist. She was sent to Oxford University in 1922 where she studied English and French literature.However, during her time at Oxford, Sumner commenced with art training as her enduring interest in fine art compelled her to investigate other creative options. In 1925 she briefly registered for an art course at the Westminster School of Art in London but it soon became apparent that the English art school tradition did not suit her temperament or artistic inclination. Conversely, France became her creative and spiritual home as she subsequently made her way to Paris, where she initially worked in the studio of the sculptor Naum Aronson (1872-1943). But Sumner was a painter at heart and eventually enrolled at the Grande Chaumière where she worked under the guidance of George Devallières (1861-1950) and Maurice Denis (1870-1943).Devallières founded the Ateliers d’Art Sacré with Denis in 1919 in an attempt to renew interest in religious art and symbolist themes whilst Denis later became well-known for his association with the art movement known as Les Nabis. The distinct world views and interests of these two artists had a lasting influence on the stylistic development of the young Sumner especially Denis’ portrayals of inviting intimate interiors. Other notable members of Les Nabis who followed in this Intimist tradition were Bonnard, Vallaton and Vuillard.For some time during the 1930s Sumner concentrated on Intimist themes and settings in which she applied her growing knowledge of oil painting. In this portrait of Dorothy, who could have been either a sister or a fellow student, the artist effectively captured the intimate mood and the very moment of a contented figure busying herself with the absorbing pastime of embroidery. The location is somewhat cluttered but homely. Similar depictions of these intimate interiors can be seen in her Chez Maria Blanchard in the Johannesburg Art Gallery as well as in La Poupeé Rose in the collection of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Port Elizabeth.
Eunice Basson
You can place an absentee bid through our website - please sign in to your account on our website to proceed.
In the My Account tab you can also enter telephone bids, or email bids@aspireart.net to log telephone/absentee bids.
Join us on the day of the auction to follow and bid in real-time.
The auction will be live-streamed with an audio-visual feed.
Auction: Modern & Contemporary Art, 1st Sep, 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Logistics
While we endeavour to assist our Clients as much as possible, we require artwork(s) to be delivered and/or collected from our premises by the Client. In instances where a Client is unable to deliver or collect artwork(s), Aspire staff is available to assist in this process by outsourcing the services to one of our preferred Service Providers. The cost for this will be for the Client’s account, with an additional Handling Fee of 15% charged on top of the Service Provider’s invoice.
Aspire Art provides inter-company transfer services for its Clients between Johannesburg and Cape Town branches. These are based on the size of the artwork(s), and charged as follows:
Small (≤60x90x10 cm): R480
Medium (≤90x120x15 cm): R960
Large (≤120x150x20 cm): R1,440
Over-size: Special quote
Should artwork(s) be collected or delivered to/from Clients by Aspire Art directly, the following charges will apply:
Collection/delivery ≤20km: R400
Collection/delivery 20km>R800≤50km
Collection/delivery >50km: Special quote
Packaging
A flat fee of R100 will be added to the invoice for packaging of unframed works on paper.
International Collectors Shipping Package
For collectors based outside South Africa who purchase regularly from Aspire Art’s auctions in South Africa, it does not make sense to ship artworks individually or per auction and pay shipping every time you buy another work. Consequently, we have developed a special collectors’ shipping package to assist in reducing shipping costs and the constant demands of logistics arrangements.
For buyers from outside South Africa, we will keep the artworks you have purchased in storage during the year and then ship all the works you have acquired during the year together, so the shipping costs are reduced. At the end of the annual period, we will source various quotes to get you the best price, and ship all your artworks to your desired address at once.
Aspire Art will arrange suitable storage during, and cost-effective shipping at the end, of the annual period.
Collections
Collections are by appointment, with 24-hours’ notice
Clients are requested to contact the relevant office and inform Aspire Art of which artwork(s) they would like to collect, and allow a 24-hour window for Aspire Art’s logistics department to retrieve the artwork(s) and prepare them for collection.
Handling Fee
Aspire Art charges a 15% Handling Fee on all Logistics, Framing, Restoration and Conservation arranged by Aspire.