Original, unique photogram: This photogram is on double-weight paper with a faintly glossy surface. The darks possess a real depth, and the photogram's shapes stand out in relief from this background. Close examination of the image shows doubling and/or shading of the shapes' edges, indicating that Moholy may have exposed the sheet to light multiple times, adjusting the shapes between exposures. The modulation between light tones, mid-grays, and blacks is masterfully handled. This photograph is in generally good condition. When viewed in raking light, many soft handling creases can be seen, although these do not detract in a significant way from the appearance of the image. There is a series of small creases in the lower right corner which have broken the emulsion. The image extends to the edge of the sheet, and there is some minor wear and chipping on the edges, most pronounced near the lower left corner. When viewed in raking light, some faint age-appropriate silvering can be seen. This appears somewhat unevenly across the surface of the print. Again, this does not diminish the impact of the image. On the reverse: '1.' is written in pencil, and circled, in the upper right corner. Moholy's 'oben' notation appears in pencil just above center. Sybil Moholy's notations appear in the upper right quadrant. 'Scharf druck' (sharp print) is written robustly in an unidentified hand in pencil above center. 'Untereinander' is written more faintly in an unidentified hand in pencil below center. '45-3[circled]' is in an unidentified hand in red ink near the center. The reverse shows some light soiling throughout. A tideline is visible in the upper right corner, this cannot be seen from the front. Positive photogram: This print is on double-weight paper with a faintly glossy surface. As is typical of Moholy's positive photograms, the tonal areas have a slightly granular quality imparted by the passage of light through the paper fibers of the original photogram. This, perhaps, accounts for the notation 'unscharf druck' (out of focus print). The edges of the composition's shapes are, indeed, softened in comparison to the original, as happens when a photogram is used as negative. This softening was an inherent quality of Moholy's 'revaluation' process. The print's surface is lightly soiled overall. An old, blurred red crayon mark is visible in the lower right quadrant. There may be residue of some substance – possibly adhesive – along the lower edge. When viewed in raking light, many soft handling creases can be seen, although these do not detract in a significant way from the appearance of the image. Some faint wear and abrasions – which do not break the emulsion – can be seen on the surface. On the reverse: there is a strip of brown paper remains along the top edge, indicating that this print was at one time affixed to a mount. There are areas of discoloration on the reverse which are not apparent in the image. '2.' is written in pencil, and circled, in the upper right corner. Moholy's 'oben' notation appears in pencil in the center. Sybil Moholy's notations appear in the upper right quadrant. 'Unscharf druck' (out-of-focus print) is written robustly in an unidentified hand in pencil above center. 'Untereinander' is written more faintly in an unidentified hand in pencil below center. '45-3' is in an unidentified hand in red ink near the center. Dating: Sybil Moholy, the photographer's wife, dated the reverse of each photograph offered here '1926.' Renate Heyne, Moholy authority and compiler of the catalogue raisonné of his photograms, has dated them to the period when Moholy was in Weimar, between 1923 and 1925. Moholy scholar Krisztina Passuth has given a slightly wider range of dates: 1922 to 1926. Both photographs are unusually large for Moholy's work from this period. There is one other negative / positive photogram in a similarly large format that dates to this period: fgm 84 and 84A. Heyne has noted that, stylistically, fgm 87 and 87A are of-a-piece with his Weimar period. At least one of the objects used in this photogram – the round shape with a circular hole – may appear in several other of Moholy's cameraless images from this period. Other intact positive/negative photogram pairs: Renate Heyne, in Moholy-Nagy: The Photograms: Catalogue Raisonné, locates eight intact positive/negative photogram pairs, all in institutional collections: Fgm 79 and 79A, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris Fgm 84 and 84A, George Eastman House, Rochester Fgm 86 and 86A, Museum of Fine Art, Houston (Manfred Heiting Collection) Fgm 115 and 115A, Bauhaus Archiv, Berlin Fgm 116 and 116A, George Eastman House, Rochester Fgm 118 and 118A, Museum Folkwang, Essen Fgm 134 and 134A, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. Fgm 256 and 256A, George Eastman House, Rochester
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.
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