Edward Weston

mounted, initialed and dated in pencil on the mount, signed, titled, dated, and numbered ‘NM41-WS-2’ in pencil and with the circular 'Bureau de Paris Batignolles' stamp on the reverse, 1941

Weston Gallery, Carmel, 1997

Paris, Maison Kodak, Une Exposition D'Oeuvres du Photographe Edward Weston, January-February 1950, and traveling to Paris, American Embassy Annex, February-March 1950

Conger 1567

Merle Armitage, Fifty Photographs: Edward Weston (New York, 1947), pl. 5

Nancy Newhall, The Flame of Recognition (Aperture, 1965), p. 91

Jennifer A. Watts, ed., Edward Weston: A Legacy (Huntington Library, 2003), pl. 119

John Szarkowski, The Photographer and the American Landscape (The Museum of Modern Art, 1963), p. 26

This photograph has the ideal characteristic presentation of Weston's prints from the early 1940s: it is on semi-glossy paper, mounted to thin off-white card, initialed and dated on the front of the mount, and fully signed, titled, and dated on the reverse. The print is rendered with great attention to the subtly-shifting gray tones of the dunes and clouds, and close observations reveals a wealth of detail. The print is in excellent condition. When examined closely in raking light, some very tiny areas of original retouching can be seen. There is some very minor wear adjacent to the corners that can only be seen upon very close examination. Nothing detracts from the overwhelmingly fine appearance of this 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.

The French customs stamp on the reverse of this print’s mount indicates that it was shown in the important solo exhibitions of Edward Weston's work, Une Exposition D'Oeuvres du Photographe Edward Weston, that opened in Paris in January 1950, first at the Maison Kodak and then at the American Embassy.

"The sensuous physical pleasure that Weston discovered in the landscape exists not only in his prints; it exists for us now in the landscape itself."

John Szarkowski, 1963