Provenance
Stephen Friedman Gallery, London
Catalogue Essay
It was not until the end of the 1980’s, with the fall of Brazil’s military dictatorship, that seminal Brazilian artists contributions started to be recognized. It was at this point, that several fundamental changes took place within the artistic forum; namely, the profession of an artist overcame historic prejudice against manual labour. Beatriz Milhazes’ art started to emerge in the mid 1980s, when painting had made a large resurgence, after a decade of exile in the 1970s. Milhazes’ oeuvre brings together cultural traditions intrinsic to Brazil, whether from the crafts or from the fine arts, yet also acknowledges a debt to key figures of European modernism, particularly the work of Matisse. ‘Everything changed the first time I saw a painting by Matisse. It was a very emotional experience to see the materials, the colors, the format. This kind of art becomes unreachable because of the distance created by history and the reproductions with which we have to resign ourselves. I was looking at the work, eye to eye. I saw the brushstrokes and realized that you can make mistakes, so the sensation grew that I could, myself, paint like this.’ (The artist in Beatriz Milhazes: pintura, colagem, exh. cat., Estação Pinacotera, São Paulo, 6 September – 30 November, 2008) The present lot, O conflito, with its intoxicating mixture of rich luscious colours, pulsates with life. The central flower motif unfolds it’s layered red, purple and blue leaves to reveal a vibrant yellow core, like the exotic blooms of Brazil’s tropical rain forest. We see glimpse of gold leaf breaking through the adorning acrylic layers. This use of gold leaf was a recent development in Milhazes career around the execution of O conflito. Her attraction to the everyday milieu of Brazilian life is a central theme that runs through much of her work. The present lot, depicts as strongly as any in her oeuvre, the inspiration taken from the cheap floral fabric found on local market stalls, as well as the colourful local crafts and jewellery produced by Brazil’s many indigenous populations.
Artist Biography
Beatriz Milhazes
Brazilian • 1960
Beatriz Milhazes is best known for her vibrantly colored yet calculated compositions. The artist has cited Baroque architecture, lace work, Carnival decoration and the flora of the Jardim Botanico in Rio de Janiero chief among her inspirations. Milhazes' artistic practice is akin to monotype or collage in that the artist first paints motifs directly onto transparent plastic sheets and later applies them to the canvas, leaving the plastic to dry. The superimposed image allows for overlapping and layering, resulting in a textured canvas and a distorted central focal point. While seemingly chaotic, Milhazes' compositions are perfectly balanced due to the artist's technically sophisticated use of geometric forms and chromatic color palate.
View More Works

19

Beatriz Milhazes

O Conflicto

2001
Acrylic on canvas.
150 × 35.5 cm (59 × 14 in).
Signed, titled and dated ‘B. Milhazes “O Conflito” 2001’ on the reverse.

Estimate
£120,000 - 180,000 ♠

Sold for £181,250

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

27 June
London

1
Urs Fischer
Oh, Sad, I See
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000
Sold for £145,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
2
Jacob Kassay
Untitled
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
Sold for £145,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
3
Glenn Ligon
Stranger in the Village #8
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000
Sold for £253,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
4
Ugo Rondinone
Get up girl a sun is running the world
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000
Sold for £541,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
5
This lot is no longer available.
6
Urs Fischer
Thank You Fuck You
Estimate £600,000 - 800,000 ‡
Sold for £657,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
7
Wade Guyton
Untitled
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000 ‡
Sold for £205,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
8
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Self-Portrait
Estimate £2,000,000 - 3,000,000 ‡
Sold for £2,057,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
9
Beatriz Milhazes
O Moderno
Estimate £650,000 - 750,000 ♠
Sold for £713,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
10
Tony Cragg
The Fanatics
Estimate £300,000 - 500,000 ‡♠
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
11
Kelley Walker
Untitled
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
Sold for £145,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
12
Sean Scully
Small Horizontal Robe
Estimate £250,000 - 350,000 ‡♠
Sold for £253,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
13
Ilya Kabakov
A Solemn Painting
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000 ‡♠
Sold for £241,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
14
Cecily Brown
I Will Not Paint Any More Boring Leaves (2)
Estimate £350,000 - 450,000 ‡♠
Sold for £529,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
15
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled
Estimate £400,000 - 600,000 ‡
Sold for £577,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
16
Andy Warhol
Mao
Estimate £300,000 - 500,000
Sold for £373,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
17
Alighiero Boetti
Untitled
Estimate £150,000 - 250,000 ‡
Sold for £193,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
18
Rosemarie Trockel
Untitled (Vogelköpfe)
Estimate £150,000 - 200,000 ♠
Sold for £241,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
19
Beatriz Milhazes
O Conflicto
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ♠
Sold for £181,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
20
Damien Hirst
Confession
Estimate £600,000 - 800,000 ♠
Sold for £690,850
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
21
Mark Tansey
Library (of Babylon)
Estimate £1,200,000 - 1,800,000 ‡
Sold for £1,161,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
22
Ugo Rondinone
11.September 2008
Estimate £100,000 - 150,000 ‡
Sold for £121,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
23
Peter Fischli and David Weiss
Brush Pot
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
24
Christopher Wool
Untitled
Estimate £80,000 - 120,000 ‡
Sold for £97,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
25
Rudolf Stingel
Untitled
Estimate £500,000 - 700,000 ♠
Sold for £657,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
26
Victor Vasarely
Binaire FF
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ‡
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
27
Andreas Gursky
Heidelberg Ost
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000 ♠
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
28
Heinz Mack
Untitled
Estimate £100,000 - 150,000 ♠
Sold for £109,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
29
Marino Marini
Cavallo
Estimate £400,000 - 600,000 ‡
Sold for £421,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
30
Thomas Struth
Pergamon Museum IV, Berlin
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ♠
Sold for £109,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
31
Andy Warhol
Muhammad Ali
Estimate £180,000 - 220,000
Sold for £217,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.
32
George Condo
Don Diego
Estimate £180,000 - 220,000
Sold for £205,250
Create your first list.
Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

27 June London

Create your first list.

Provenance

Catalogue Essay

Artist Biography

Beatriz Milhazes

19

Beatriz Milhazes

O Conflicto

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

Create your first list.

27 June
London