Wassily Kandinsky

Galerie Der Sturm, Berlin (acquired by 1912)
Paul Citroën, Amsterdam & Wassenaar (acquired circa 1919)
Frederick Muller, Amsterdam
Sale: Kornfeld & Klipstein, Bern, 17^th June 1965, lot 442
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Paris, Serres de l'Alma, Société des Artistes Indépendants, 23e Exposition, 1907, no. 2650
Dresden, Grosse Kunstausstellung, 1908
Odessa, Vladimir Izdebsky, Salon 2, 1910-11: International Art Exhibition, 1910, no. 238 (as dating from 1909)
Munich, Hans Goltz; Berlin, Galerie Der Sturm & Rotterdam, Gallery Oldenzeel,  Kandinsky Kollektiv-Ausstellung, 1902-1912, 1912, no. 20

The Artist's Handlist, Coloured Drawings, listed as no. 121 'l'ours'
Will Grohmann, Wassily Kandinsky. Life and Work, New York, 1958, no. 121
Douglas Gordon, Modern Art Exhibitions 1900-1916, Munich, 1974, vol. 2, listed pp. 196, 441 & 610
Jonathan D. Fineberg, Kandinsky in Paris 1906-1907, Michigan, 1984, pp. 54 & 79
Vivian Endicott Barnett, Kandinsky Watercolours, Catalogue Raisonné Volume One, 1900-1921, London, 1992, no. 217, illustrated p. 193; illustrated in colour p. 197 (with incorrect medium)

Executed on black paper laid down on board. There is no evidence of retouching under ultra-violet light. There are some paint losses to the yellow pigment, mainly in the farmer's jacket. Apart from some minor support losses to the extreme edges, some minor surface scratches and two small water stains, one towards the centre and one in the lower left quadrant, this work is in good original condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted in 1907, Der Bär is a wonderful example of the transitional period in Kandinsky's œuvre, introducing a style of painting that prefigures the artist's development towards abstraction. At that time Kandinsky often favoured themes from Russian fairytales and folklore whereby the bear is invoked as a quintessentially Russian subject. The folkloric, almost two-dimensional quality of the composition and the use of linear brushstrokes evoke the influence of the technique of medieval glass painting whilst the brushwork reflects the influence of Post-Impressionist painters, such as Van Gogh. The liberty taken with colour by the Fauve painters whose works Kandinsky had seen in Paris in 1905-07 had been a revelation, pointing the way towards the invention of a pictorial language that would free painting from the object.

The artist's use of strong, defined colour planes in the present work reflects the changing and increasingly important role of colour in his work. As Grohmann writes, 'Colour becomes increasingly crucial... [green, blue-green,  light pink, purple , yellow, orange] transport the subject to the sphere of dream and legend. This was the direction of development. The painter distributes and links the colours, combines them and differentiates them as if they were beings of a specific character and special significance.  As in music, the materials come to the form, and in this respect Kandinsky stands between Mussorgsky and Scriabin. The language of colour – just as in those composers – calls for depth, for fantasy; and Kandinsky's art will henceforward depend increasingly on its own resources' (Will Grohmann, op. cit., p. 61).