$8,255
Estimate: $2,500 - $4,000
What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part II
Auction: February 28, 2024 at 12 PM ET
Signed and dated ‘Marisol - 1968' bottom right, colored pencil on paper
Sheet size: 11 5/8 x 8 ¼ in. (29.5 x 21cm)
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, New York.
Makler Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sotheby's Arcade, New York, sale of September 29, 1993, lot 255.
Acquired directly from the above sale.
The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The work of Venezuelan/American artist Marisol (born Marisol Escobar in Paris in 1930) defies easy categorization, variably embracing Pop Art's vibrancy and Surrealism's dreamlike quality, while exhibiting a subtle yet trenchant social commentary. Sculptures like The Party (1965, Toledo Museum of Art) employ life-size figures, all bearing the artist's own face, to satirize societal façades and conformity. Meanwhile, pieces like Women and Dog (1964, Whitney Museum of American Art) impart a witty commentary on femininity tinged with critique, prompting viewers to question prescribed roles and identities. Marisol's exploration of family dynamics, power structures, and consumerism transcended mere trends, solidifying her as a distinct voice within the turbulent 1960s. Her occasional forays into drawing and painting, as in the present lot and lot 217 (Abstract), offer a counterpoint to her better-known three-dimensional works and number among a vast corpus of works on paper that ranges from preparatory sketches for her monumental sculptures to so-called “confessional drawings” to the many late-career drawings she executed following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.