Ansel Adams

mounted on Strathmore illustration board, signed in ink on the mount, the photographer's Carmel studio stamps (BMFA 7 and 8), with title in ink, on the reverse, 1941, probably printed between 1963 and 1970

Andrea G. Stillman, Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs (Boston, 2007), p. 175

Karen E. Haas and Rebecca A. Senf, Ansel Adams in the Lane Collection (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2005), pl. 37

Ansel Adams (Morgan & Morgan, 1972), pl. 63

Ansel Adams, Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs (Boston, 2002), p. 40

John Szarkowski, Ansel Adams at 100 (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2001), pl. 96

Andrea G. Stillman, ed., Ansel Adams: The Grand Canyon and the Southwest (Boston, 2000), frontispiece

James Alinder and John Szarkowski, Ansel Adams: Classic Images (Boston, 1985), pl. 32

This print, on semi-glossy paper and mounted to blindstamped Strathmore illustration board, is in generally excellent condition. In raking light, deposits of original retouching are visible, as well as a tiny indentation that does not break the emulsion. There is a long linen tape remnant along the upper edge of the mount. The reverse of the mount is slightly age-darkened at the periphery. Also on the reverse is a small sticker with 'Adams 13' in green ink. Karen Haas's and Rebecca Senf's book, 'Ansel Adams in the Lane Collection,' publishes the most comprehensive list to date of the studio stamps and labels Adams used throughout his career. Our dating of this print is based upon the authors' assessment of the use dates of stamps 7 and 8: 1963 through 1970. Unlike later 1970s prints of 'Moonrise,' which are considerably darker in tonality, the present photograph, probably printed no later than 1970, is more open, with discernible detail in the foreground, as well as in the sky and clouds. There is a wider range of grey tones in the sky, as compared to the high-contrast, more uniform dark sky in later 1970s prints.
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.