August Sander

a unique object, with inked black border, the photographer's 'Köln Lindenthal' blindstamp on the image, his 'August Sander, Lichtbildner, Köln Lindenthal, Durenerstr. 201, Fernruf 42492' studio stamp and annotated 'photogramm' in pencil on the reverse, framed, Buhl Collection and Guggenheim Museum exhibition labels on the reverse, circa 1932

Collection of Sigrid Sander Biow, the photographer's daughter

Sotheby's New York, 8 October 1997, Sale 7024, Lot 254

New York, Guggenheim Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection, June - September 2004, and 4 other international venues through 2007 (see Appendix 1)

West Palm Beach, Norton Museum of Art, A Show of Hands: Photographs and Sculpture from the Buhl Collection, January - March 2008

Seoul, South Korea, Daelim Contemporary Art Museum, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection (Asian tour), March - May 2009, and 2 other Asian venues through 2011 (see Appendix 1)

This unique object:
Jennifer Blessing, Speaking with Hands: Photographs from The Buhl Collection (Guggenheim Foundation, 2004), pp. 133 and 245

August Sander: Photographs of An Epoch, 1904-1959 (Aperture, 1980), p. 33

This photograph is on stiff double-weight paper with a semi-glossy surface and slightly warm tonality. While Sander is not known for his photograms, this image is executed with a great deal of skill and understanding of the photogram process. The tones range from deep black to paper white, all modulated by Sander's expert manipulation of the hand and glass shape in relation to the photographic paper during exposure. The print is in very good condition; its minor condition issues can be seen only upon close examination. There is a small handling crease in the lower left quadrant that does not break the emulsion. When the print is viewed in raking light, some faint scuffing can be seen on the surface, as well as a faint rectangular outline, as if this print had at one time been stored in stack of prints of differing sizes. A very minute portion of the inked border has chipped away near the lower right corner. None of these condition issues diminish the impact of this impressive image.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although the photogram­—a photographic image made in the darkroom without the use of a camera—was very much a part of the artistic zeitgeist of his time, this is believed to be the only extant photogram by Sander, and as such is unique within his oeuvre. The photographer’s great-grandson Julian Sander suggests that this image may have been produced for Schott AG, a commercial glass company founded by Carl Zeiss, Otto Schott, and Ernst Abbe in Jena, Germany, in 1884.  August Sander was an active commercial photographer, but very little of his work survived the bombing of Cologne at the end of World War II.

While portraiture was the mainstay of Sander’s photographic output, he has tackled the photogram technique with great assurance. Glass, because of its transparency and ability to bend and intensify light, makes an ideal subject for a photogram, and in this image Sander has exploited these qualities to great effect.  The concentric rings of the bowl’s shape, and its orbit of beveled sections, present an energetic and rhythmic composition.  The inclusion of the hand suggests the bowl’s utilitarian qualities.  In all, Sander has presented the object both as a literal form and a compelling abstraction.