Otto Dix

Galerie Nierendorf, Cologne
Frank Perls Gallery, Beverly Hills
Sale: Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, June 3-4, 1959, lot 31
Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, November 4, 1993, lot 211
Gianni Versace, New York (acquired at the above sale and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 4, 2005, lot 295)
Acquired at the above sale

Willi Wolfradt, "Der Cicerone," XVI. Jg, 1924, no. S946
Suse Pfäffle, Otto Dix, Werkverzeichnis de Aquarelle und Gouachen, Stuttgart, 1991, no. A 1923/78, illustrated p. 188

Executed on cream laid paper. Affixed to a mount at top corners and center of right edge on the verso. Watermark running down the right side is visible on the verso. Arist's pinholes at all four corners. Some light foxing at extreme side edges of the verso. Colors are bright and fresh. Work is in excellent condition.
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.

While living in Düsseldorf in the early 1920s, Dix worked primarily in watercolor due to rising inflation.  This medium enabled the artist to accomplish a greater number of works and sell them as quickly as possible to keep up with the ever dwindling value of money.  Proud of his working-class roots, the artist depicted subjects that were intentionally anti-bourgeois.

One of the themes the artist explored during this period was the world of the circus.  In this striking composition, the grotesque humor most commonly associated with the artist's work of this period is replaced by a more lyrical approach.  The fluid draughtsmanship and delicate washes of vivid color evoke a more whimsical and fanciful world.