Paul Klee

Rudolf Probst (Galerie Neue Kunst Fides), Dresden & Mannheim (until 1933)
Lily Klee, Bern (1940-46)
Klee-Gesellschaft, Bern (acquired in 1946)
James Gilvarry, New York (acquired by 1956. Sold: Christie's, New York, 14th November 1984, lot 422)
Acquired directly from the above

Bern, Kunsthalle, Paul Klee, 1934, no. 191
Basel, Kunsthalle, Paul Klee, 1935, no. 127
Lucerne, Kunstmuseum, Paul Klee, 1936, no. 95
Bern, Kunstmuseum, Paul Klee, 1956, no. 619
Hamburg, Kunsthalle, Paul Klee, 1956-57, no. 284
Baltimore, Museum of Art & Richmond, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Paul Klee. Private Collection James Gilvarry, 1960
Champaign, University of Illinois, Krannert Art Museum, Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Paul Klee from the James Gilvarry Collection, 1964, no. 18
Indianapolis, Herron Museum of Art, Paul Klee, 1966, no. 16
Santa Barbara, University of California, The Art Gallery, Paul Klee: Oils, Watercolors, Gouaches, Drawings, Prints from the James Gilvarry Collection, 1967, no. 18, illustrated in the catalogue

Max Huggler, 'Paul Klee', in Künstler Lexikon der Schweiz XX. Jahrhundert, Frauenfeld, 1958-61, vol. I, p. 527
Max Huggler, Paul Klee. Die Malerei als Blick in den Kosmos, Frauenfeld & Stuttgart, 1969, mentioned pp. 123-124
Jürg Spiller (ed.), Paul Klee Notebooks, London, 1973, vol. II, illustrated p. 330 (titled Lowland plain)
Christie's Year in Review, 1984, illustrated
The Paul Klee Foundation (ed.), Paul Klee Catalogue Raisonné, London, 2002, vol. 6, no. 5705, illustrated p. 164; illustrated in colour p. 207

Executed on white paper laid down on the artist's mount, which is hinged to a mount on the reverse of the top two corners. Apart from some overmount staining to the artist's mount, this work is in good condition. The watercolour is fresh and unfaded. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly stronger and fresher in the original.
"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."

Tief-Ebene is a remarkable example of Klee's pointillist technique, which characterised his output in the early 1930s. Reminiscent of the pointillist works by the neo-Impressionist artists, this style enabled Klee to explore the harmonies and contrasts of colour. Not unlike the scientific experiments of Georges Seurat, Klee meticulously populated the sheet with brilliant, almost translucent strokes of watercolour, often applied by small stamps he made out of heads of nails, exploiting different intensities of hues to create a sense of depth and movement. In the present work, Klee has combined dots of various pigments with a soft wash to depict a landscape of wonderfully subtle, lyrical quality.