MAX ERNST | Ohne Titel (Untitled)

Robert Delaunay (a gift from the artist)
Sonia Delaunay, Paris (by descent from the above)
Hanover Gallery, London (acquired from the above)
Acquired from the above by the late owners in 1968

Werner Spies, Max Ernst, Œuvre-Katalog, Werke 1925-1929, Cologne, 1976, no. 1275, illustrated p. 249

Executed on cream wove paper and laid down on card which is in turn laid down on canvas. The lower edge of the sheet is serrated. The sheet is lightly time stained. There is a flattened crease across the lower left corner which has resulted in a fine hair line crack to the medium. The colours are bright and this work is in overall good 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. 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."

Shortly after finishing his studies at the University of Bonn, Ernst came to know the 'Young Rhineland' group of Franz Marc and August Macke, both celebrated avant-garde painters who would die tragically young whilst fighting in the First World War. It was through this meeting that Ernst had the fortune of encountering the French artist Robert Delaunay. In January 1913, Delaunay travelled to Berlin along with the poet Apollinaire for an exhibition of his work at Galerie Der Sturm. On their way back to Paris, the two Frenchmen stayed with Macke who subsequently introduced them to Ernst. Ernst’s encounter with Delaunay and Apollinaire buoyed his desire to move to Paris and in 1914 he traveled to the French capital. Although his trip was interrupted by the onset of the First World War, Ernst would maintain a kinship with Delaunay throughout the following years, engaging with the latter’s œuvre through his own works, including his 1916 Türme (Towers) held in the National Galleries of Scotland which is likened to Robert Delaunay’s celebrated depictions of the Eiffel Tower.