Josef Albers

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
The Edward and Betty Marcus Foundation, Dallas
Christie's, New York, 6 November 1985, Lot 32 (consigned by the above)
Private Collection, New York
Private Collection, Tokyo
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, The Interaction of Color: A Presentation of Paintings and the Color Theory of Josef Albers, April - May 1963, cat. no. 21
Austin, The University of Texas Art Museum, Recent American Paintings, April - May 1964, cat. no. 1, illustrated
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Opening of the East Wing, May - September 1975
New York, Gallery Schlesinger, Josef Albers Paintings, March - April 1988

This work is in very good condition overall. The colors are bright, fresh and clean. In the outer brown square, there is a black pinpoint spot accretion at the upper right and a pinpoint white spot accretion in the lower left. Under very close inspection, a pinpoint drip accretion in the upper and lower left corners is visible and a few pinpoint spots of loss are visible in the central orange square. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, the light brown vertical form on the left fluoresces but does not appear to be the result of restoration and is likely from the time of execution. Framed.
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.

"The Homages operate like doors—physically, optically, psychologically, and metaphorically. They are entrances, exits, and thresholds, beginnings and endings. Sometimes it is not clear on which side of the door we are. The door opens both out and in, onto the past, the present, and onto an endless, inescapable theoretical infinity. There is no first or last. And the possibilities are both limited and limitless, just as Albers conceived of his paintings...'It's important to know when a painting ends. All my paintings have a beginning and an end.'"
Kelly Feeney 
Josef Albers: Works on Paper, Virginia 1991, p. 86