Frederick Sommer

mounted, signed, titled, and dated in pencil on the reverse, framed, 1940

Collection of Toby Miller, New York

Laurence Miller Gallery, New York

Corporate collection, New York, 1990

Sotheby's New York, 27 April 2005, Sale 8086, Lot 115

This impressive early print is in generally excellent condition. In raking light, age-appropriate silvering is visible in the dark areas. The mount is slightly age-darkened at the extremities (front and back) and around the periphery of the print. There is also some minor foxing on the mount that does not intrude upon the print.
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.

Beginning in 1938, Sommer and a friend, the photographer and musician Faurest Davis, made several trips through the Southwest.  He took a number of photographs of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River landscape during these travels with his 8-by-10-inch camera and a Turner-Reich triple convertible lens.  With no horizon or single subject, these densely packed, detail-filled images are a departure from conventional landscapes. Keith Davis writes,

‘These photographs convey an air of eternity:  individual things may change, but the forces at work are timeless.  Vistas of rock and cactus become as sublime as the starry night sky’ (Frederick Sommer, p. 19).

According to the Frederick Sommer Foundation, there is one other known print of this image, an unmounted early print, in private hands.