Helene Love-Allotey
Head of Department
Lot 49*
Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E(Nigerian, 1917-1994)Portrait of a Lady (framed)
Withdrawn
Amended
22 March 2023, 15:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£70,000 - £100,000
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Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)
Portrait of a Lady
signed 'BE' (lower left)
oil on canvas
73 x 48.5cm (28 3/4 x 19 1/8in).
(framed)
signed 'BE' (lower left)
oil on canvas
73 x 48.5cm (28 3/4 x 19 1/8in).
(framed)
Footnotes
Exhibited
Lagos, National Museum, Ben Enwonwu: 70th birthday retrospective exhibition, (July, 1991).
As a significantly consistent practice for the artist, portraiture possesses a signature style within the artists oeuvre. Actively avoiding working from photographs, the current work is further evident of the artists preference at working from life. Given the swift use of brushstroke application to the hair and clothes of the sitter, it may be perceived that the present work was completed in one or two sittings. The palette, in cool blues, vivid yellows and green formulations is coherent with some of the artist's finest portraiture works that can be seen in works such as Portrait of Marianne (1972) which displays the artists use for palettes such as this present lot to present depth and dimension within his sitter's facial features. The composition of Portrait of a Lady may also be viewed as an indication of the prestige of the sitter in Enwonwu's eyes. Given the face on portrait (as opposed to a side portrait work as was perhaps more usual of the artist portraiture opus) this work is reminiscent of My Mama at 80 (1973) completed by the artist in honour of his own mother. My Mama at 80 (1973) displays an empowering nature, imbuing confidence, authority, and power. In the present work, the sitter almost appears to be looking at the artist just beyond the canvas.
The direct nature of this interaction between artist and subject implies that this work could display the personal admiration that the artist had for this sitter. Given that the background of this work is left ambiguous as a result of its incompletion what could be understood to be artists intent, the focus of this work is solely on the sitter, with no contextual inferences or interjections.
Saleroom notices
This lot has been withdrawn.
