Edward Weston

signed and dated in pencil on the reverse, 1927

Estate of Tina Modotti

Collection of Vittorio Vidali (1900-1983)

By descent to his son Carlos Vidali

Sotheby’s New York, 8 May 1984, Sale 5176, Lot 354

This masterful, rare print from Edward Weston's series of photographs of shells is a definitive example of his earliest renderings of the subject. The present print is a consummate example of his printing style in the late 1920s. This rarely seen composition of two shells cradled together is printed on matte-surface paper and precedes a numbered edition. carries Weston's early, bold signature and date are on the reverse. This striking print features deep, dark charcoal tones and warm, ivory highlights. The glowing iridescence of the nautilus shell is masterfully rendered and this print delivers a great deal of detail, from the smooth surface of the nautilus to the rough exterior of the abalone shell. Upon close examination, a few faint fox marks can be seen in the lightest areas of the print. The extreme perimeter of the print is evenly and age-appropriately silvered. There is a small area of irregular oxidation at the lower right in the abalone, as if the oxidation were forming around a fingerprint or similar shape. Each corner is very subtly rounded, and there are occasional minor chips to the edges. A small tack hole at the upper center edge has been expertly repaired. This photograph has been conserved, primarily to address heavy uneven oxidation, and a treatment report is available from the Photographs Department upon request. The reverse is lightly soiled, and there are a few faint foxmarks.
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.

When Edward Weston returned to California after his sojourn in Mexico, he devoted himself to work comprised of two themes.  First, he explored the female form in a series of nudes.  Then, in March 1927, he started on a series of photographs of shells.  Weston found the surface detail and tonal quality of the shells deeply inspiring and experimented with different compositions, depth of field, exposure times (sometimes lasting up to four and a half hours), and shell configurations.  He experienced frustration every step of the way.  Weston writes: ‘I worked all Sunday with the shells,—literally all day.  Only three negatives made and two of them were done as records of movement to repeat again when I can find suitable backgrounds.  I wore myself out trying every conceivable texture and tone for grounds: Glass, tin, cardboard,— wool, velvet, even my rubber raincoat!’ (Daybooks II, p. 21).  Despite Weston’s exasperation with the process, the photographs themselves proved to be some of his most successful.

This photograph comes originally from the estate of Tina Modotti.  Weston sent several of his shell studies to Modotti in Mexico, who had been his lover and model for several years.  The photographs elicited an extreme reaction from Modotti: ‘My God Edward, your last photography surely took my breath away!  I feel speechless in front of them.  What purity of vision. When I opened the package I couldn’t look at them very long, they stirred up all my innermost feelings so that I felt a physical pain. . .  They contain both the innocence of natural things and the morbidity of a sophisticated, distorted mind.  They make me think of lilies and of embryos.  They are mystical and erotic’ (Daybooks II, p. 31).

The present photograph – printed on matte-surface paper and with Weston’s early, assured signature on the reverse – represents the ideal early state of the image.  Later in the 1920s, Weston would make the transition to paper with a glossy surface.  At the time of this writing, no other prints of this image have been located and it is not recorded in Conger.  A slight variant composition was sold in these rooms on 10 October 2005 (Sale 8164, Lot 5).