YVES KLEIN (1928-1962) / HARRY SHUNK (1924-2006) & JÁNOS KENDER (1937-2009)

flush-mounted, signed by Harry Shunk in ink on the reverse, 1960, probably printed in the late 1960s; accompanied by the original frame, signed and annotated by Shunk in ink and with a Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, label, credit and ‘294’ in ink, on the reverse (2)

Acquired by the present owner, 1965-69

Mathieu Copeland, Voids: A Retrospective (Zurich: JRP/Ringier, 2009), cover (variant)

Bruno Corà and Daniel Moquay, Yves Klein (Lugano: Museo d’Arte, 2009), cover and pp. 112-3

Mia Fineman, Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012), frontispiece, pp. 182 and 252

Simon Baker and Fiontán Moran, Performing for the Camera (London: Tate Publishing, 2016), p. 10

This early print on glossy paper is in generally excellent condition. It is trimmed to the image and flush-mounted to gray board. In the upper left quadrant, below the falling figure, foliage has been hand-embellished in ink or paint on the print to mask the seam of collaged negatives. This tinting has faded somewhat and appears sepia in tone. There is an area of retouching near the lower corner of the house measuring approximately 1/2-inch in length. There are a few subtle scratches across the print, and there is a nearly indistinguishable 'pebbled' texture overall, possibly a result of the mounting process. The print is separating from the mount at the lower left corner. The reverse of the mount is annotated '3' twice in pencil. There are several small paper remnants and adhesive residue corresponding to where the mount was previously adhered to the frame backing. The reverse of the original 'See-Thru Frame' backing is signed by Harry Shunk and annotated 'signed on back of photograph' in ink.
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 October 1960, French New Realist artist Yves Klein collaborated with the photographers Harry Shunk and János Kender to document his jump from a rooftop in Fontenay-aux-Roses, a Parisian suburb. In the resulting illusory image, Klein, arms outstretched and dressed in suit and tie, appears to fly gracefully in the air, unaware of the pavement below.

This iconic photograph is actually a careful composite of two negatives. Shunk-Kender, as they were known, first took a photograph of Klein jumping from a second story window, landing safely in a tarpaulin held below by friends. Next, they photographed the same scene but devoid of people, except for a bicyclist (possibly Kender himself) peddling away at right.  The two negatives were then printed carefully on the same sheet to produce the final ‘documentary’ image.

This photograph was notably first published on 27 November 1960 in Klein’s parody newspaper Dimanche—Le journal d’un seul jour. Intentionally designed to resemble the French newspaper Le journal du dimanche, the translated headline reads: ‘A man in space! The painter of space throws himself into the Void!’ Printed on occasion of the Festival d’Art d’Avant-Garde, this 4-page broadside was available for one day at Paris newsstands, selling for 35 cents.

Although there are a few alternate, preparatory versions of this photograph, including some taken from other viewpoints and one that does not feature a bicycle or train, the present composition remains the most recognizable and reproduced, as it was the version chosen by Klein for Dimanche. Early prints of any size are rare. At the time of this writing, it is believed that only 3 other prints have appeared at auction in recent memory. The Shunk-Kender Archive is divided among several institutions, and prints of this image are in the following collections: the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Menil Collection, Houston.