László Moholy-Nagy

the photographer’s ‘foto moholy-nagy’ credit stamp on the reverse, 1928

The photographer to Esfir Shub, 1928-29

By descent to Shub’s son

Acquired from the above by Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Inc., New York

Acquired by the present owner from the above

Madrid, Circulo de Bellas Artes, László Moholy-Nagy: The Art of Light, June – August 2010; and traveling to:

Berlin, Martin-Gropius-Bau, November 2010 - January 2011

The Hague, Gemeentemuseum, January - May 2011        

Budapest, Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art, June - September 2011

Olivia Maria Rubelo, Vincenzo Vitiello, et al., László Moholy-Nagy, The Art of Light (Madrid: Circulo de Bellas Artes, 2010), p. 63 (this print)

Uhu, May 1928

László Moholy-Nagy, 60 Fotos (Berlin, 1930), pl. 8

Andreas Haus, Moholy-Nagy: Photographs and Photograms (New York, 1980), pl. 67

Eleanor M. Hight, Picturing Modernism: Moholy-Nagy and Photography in Weimar Germany (M. I. T. Press, 1995), p. 144  

This large and impressive photograph is printed on double-weight paper with a glossy surface. Its large format may indicate that it was intended for exhibition. The print has undergone conservation to address losses in all four corners, and a smaller loss at the center of the bottom edge. This work was done with great skill, and is only noticed upon scrutiny. These areas were essentially rebuilt with an application of photographic paper, and retouched to match the adjacent areas. Examination in raking light shows some small abrasions in the upper portion of the image. Linear handling creases along the left edge can also be seen in raking light. The print was not retouched by Moholy, and close examination reveals a number of specks, squiggles, and faint lines in the image that are due to dust or defects in the negative. Nonetheless, the print delivers the wonderful graphic quality of the image with Moholy's usual dynamic energy. The reverse of the print is appropriately age-darkened and shows some minor occasional soiling. The photographer's stamp is in purple ink. The sheet measures 15 3/4 by 11 3/4 in. (40 by 30 cm.)
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.

This photograph was first reproduced in the illustrated magazine Uhu in 1928, bearing the title Die erste heisse Sonnenstunde.  Franz Roh chose it for his 1930 retrospective monograph, L. Moholy-Nagy: 60 Fotos.  The photographs in that volume are believed to have been culled from the nearly 100 Moholy images shown in the seminal 1929 Film und Foto exhibition in Stuttgart, and it is likely that this was shown there.  This image was also among approximately 50 purchased by Beaumont Newhall for The Museum of Modern Art in 1939 from the photographer’s important one-man exhibition at Delphic Studios.  The Museum of Modern Art’s print is catalogued under the title Repose.

This image is a prime example of Moholy’s experimental attitude toward the medium.  His placement of the intense light and dark values creates an abstracting quality, yet also evokes the reality of the hot sun, the pebble-strewn beach, and the grasses.  The shadow is created by Moholy himself, who has positioned his shade-self very precisely within the frame.  While his approach was characteristically playful and spontaneous, the result is an unconventional but thoroughly masterful photograph.  

As with Lots 171 and 172, this photograph comes originally from the collection of Soviet filmmaker Esfir Shub.  Shub had a collection of around 20 Moholy photographs, and may have been planning an exhibition of his work.  The large format of the print offered here suggests that it may have been intended for exhibition.