Paul Klee

Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne  
Lady Noel E. Norton, London (acquired from the above in 1944)
Berggruen & Cie, Paris (by 1981)
Fuji Television Gallery Co. Ltd, Tokyo (acquired from the above in 1981)
Acquavella Galleries, Inc., New York 
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon (acquired from the above in March 1982)

Paris, Galerie Berggruen & Cie, Paul Klee. Les années 20, 1971, cat. no. 28, illustrated in color
Berlin, Nationalgalerie Berlin, Sttatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Hommage à Schönberg. Der Blaue Reiter und das Musikalische in der Malerei der Zeit ,1974, cat. no. 59, illustrated
Tokyo, Fuji Television Gallery; Osaka, Gallery Kasahara, Exhibition of Paul Klee, 1981, cat. no. 12, illustrated

The Paul Klee Foundation & Museum of Fine Arts, Bern, eds., Paul Klee Catalogue raisonné 1923-1926, vol IV, Bern, 2000, cat. no. 3271, p. 121, illustrated and p. 83, illustrated in color

Very good condition. The mount is time-stained and discolored from the window mat. The artist laid down the sheet onto the mount, and the sheet itself is in very good condition. The colors, particularly the red washes, are slightly faded, and the black gouache has some pinpoint losses.
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.

Mit dem Rad dates from 1923, the year that the members of the Bauhaus exhibited their work collectively for the first time.  Klee was appointed as a teacher at the school in Weimar in 1920, and the next year he began teaching lessons related to his writings on the theory of pictorial form and the principles of aesthetic order.  The present composition, which dates from the apex of Klee's involvement with his students, exemplifies the very methods and artistic priorities that he was promoting.  

Although a key member of the faculty, Klee did not, however, adopt a rigidly constructivist, utilitarian style close to other Bauhaus members. Retaining the poetic manner of his earlier work, Klee created a utopian, fantastic world in response to the destruction caused by World War I. The years spent in Weimar, and later in Dessau, were the most innovative and productive of his career, and the present composition is a magnificent example of this new direction in his art, combining the increasingly abstract, geometric style with the poetic quality always present in his work.