BRETT WESTON | Untitled (Lily Leaf, Carmel)

flush-mounted, mounted again to card, signed and dated in pencil on the mount, a Bruce Silverstein Gallery label on the reverse, circa 1929

Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York

Beaumont Newhall, Brett Weston: Voyage of the Eye (Aperture, 1975), unpaginated Brett Weston Photographs: 1925-1930 and 1980-1982 (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1983), p. 3

Carol Williams Christopher, ed., Brett Weston: Master Photographer (Carmel, 1989), pl. 13

Stephen Bennett Phillips, ed., Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow (Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 2008), p. 89

This early print is on lush matte-surface paper. It is in generally very good to excellent condition. Visible in high raking light is age-appropriate silvering in the stem, the left edge, and the upper right quadrant. There is a small deposit in the lower left corner, possibly retouching. The mount is somewhat unevenly age-darkened. There is a halo around the signature and date, presumably from a previous mat. There is a tiny scratch at the upper left of the mount. The corners are slightly bumped or creased. 'W' is written in an unidentified hand in ink in the upper left of the reverse. There are three areas on the reverse that have been stabilized with Japanese rice paper. The reverse is darkened at the edges and smudged and lightly soiled overall. When examined under ultraviolet light, this print does not appear to fluoresce.
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.

In August of 1925 Brett Weston, accompanied by Edward Weston and lover Tina Modotti, arrived in Mexico.  Uninterested in school and facing disciplinary issues, the young Weston began taking photographs with his Edward's Graflex.  At only 13 Brett had already started to absorb information on composition, developing and printing for his father.  Brett's photographs, however, show a near immediate distinction from Edward's work: photographs made in Mexico and California between 1925 and 1930 show a predilection for close-up views of natural subjects.  While the repeated patterns and shapes found in plants held a special fascination for the young photographer, Brett also turned his camera to man-made objects, capturing thoughtful abstractions and noteworthy tonal studies (see Lot 199). Early prints from the nascent period of Brett Weston’s career are rare and infrequently appear at auction. 

There are no examples of this rare image in the Brett Weston Archive.