Jaromír Funke

signed by the photographer in ink and annotated 'Birmingham' and numbered '6' (circled) in unidentified hands in pencil on the reverse, matted, 1923

The estate of the photographer

Acquired by Rudolf Kicken Gallery, Cologne, from the above, 1989

Acquired by the Quillan Company from the above, 1989

Jill Quasha, The Quillan Collection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Photographs (New York, 1991), pl. 46 (this print)

Other prints of this image:

Jaromír Funke (Rudolf Kicken Galerie, Cologne, 1984, in conjunction with the exhibition), pl. 8

Jaroslav Andel, Czech Modernism, 1900-1945 (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1989, in conjunction with the exhibition), p. 98

Manfred Heiting, Still Life & Portraits (Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, 2001, in conjunction with the exhibition), p. 93

Manfred Heiting, At the Still Point: Photographs from the Manfred Heiting Collection, Vol. II, Part I, 1915-1968 (Los Angeles/Amsterdam, 2000), p. 203

This rich, warm-toned print is on very heavy double-weight paper with a matte surface. When the print is examined closely, a tiny, pin-prick-sized hole can be seen above and to the right of the center of the image. There is silvering, appropriate for a print of this age, in dark areas. There is minor wear and some minute occasional chipping on the print's edges.
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 still-life study offered here is an early example of Jaromír Funke's exploration of abstract compositional arrangements using commonplace objects.  It exemplifies Funke's affinity for diagonal compositions, close cropping, and abstraction through the use of framing and lighting.  Funke met fellow Czech photographer Josef Sudek (Lot 54) as early as 1920.  Each went on to explore the possibilities of the still-life genre as a tool for personal expression, creating two bodies of work that are distinct from one another, yet share a common understanding of light and shadow, and a similar attention to the craft of photography.  In 1924, a year after Kompozice was made, both Sudek and Funke were founding members of the Czech Photographic Society.

In his 1940 essay, From the Photogram to Emotion, Funke writes that 'with structural layering of different constructions, spirals, shapes and simple realities, one can conjure up startling configurations which, illuminated and evoked by a rich play of shadows, bring about a real photographic magic to the commonplace.'  These observations are embodied in the early modernist composition offered here.

As of this writing, only three other prints of this image have been located: in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; in the Manfred Heiting Collection, Los Angeles and Amsterdam; and one offered in these rooms on 25 April 2007 (Photographs from the Private Collection of Margaret W. Weston, Sale 8387, Lot 33), now in a private collection.  The annotation on the reverse of this print, 'Birmingham,' may indicate that it was exhibited at one of the annual Birmingham (England) photographic salons.