MARLENE DUMAS, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, 2015
101 x 101 cm
Habotai silk scarf, original linen bound box, card
edition 500
published by Tate Modern, London, England
mint
inv.MDum 000-pr
MARLENE DUMAS, For Whom the Bell Tolls, 2008. In this painting – here in print – Marlene Dumas shows interest in emotional expressions that are often represented in cinema, and rarely in contemporary painting. For this she applied a variety of watery drip painting techniques and used a film still (from ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’, 1943) of Ingrid Bergman experiencing sorrow and mourning. Two seemingly emblematic black bird images in the eyes add an extra eery and dramatic touch to it all.
‘In 2007 my mother died at noon at the age of 86.
For Whom the Bell Tolls was about loss and departure, but also about transformation and freedom. A spirit set free, my grief and her relief. So I made the [film] stars [Ingrid Bergman. a.o.] and the gods weep for her. Marlene Dumas
This item is wrapped in a linen box with a loose piece of paper with instructions for cleaning.
Additional information
Marlene Dumas’s painting For Whom te Bell Tolls was used for the reproduction of her Tate Modern scarf and the painting from 2008 itself is based on a film still. Appropriation is of all times, also e.g. Victor Young’s vinyl “For whom the bell tolls” (2019) features the same image.
History of price:
ArtWise, Brooklyn, New York, USA US$ 125.- August 2021
Tate Modern, London, England GBP 85.- February 2015 (since May 2017 not available anymore)
Tate Modern, London, UK silk scarf Marlene Dumas