Wassily Kandinsky

J.B. Neumann, New York (acquired from the artist in May 1935)
Nierendorf Gallery, New York (acquired by July 1942)
Zoe Dusanne Gallery, Seattle
Private Collection (acquired from the above in the late 1950s)
Thence by descent

Berlin, Galerie Ferdinand Möller, Sonder-Ausstellung W. Kandinsky: Zeichnungen 1910-1931, Neue Aquarelle, Grafik, 1932, no. 68
Stockholm, Gummesons Konsthall, Kandinsky, 1932, no. 36

Vivian Endicott Barnett, Kandinsky, Catalogue Raisonné of the Watercolors, 1922-1944, vol. II, New York, 1994, no. 1033, illustration of the artist's sketch in the Handlist p. 307

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down. Sheet is hinged to the mat at two points along the upper edge. The edges are deckled. Apart from some light time-staining, this work is in excellent condition.
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.

Kandinsky’s deep theosophical interests informed his desire to create a renewal of the arts. Championing the autonomy of color, the painter believed that all arts were capable of attaining an equal level of spirituality, achieving thus a synthesis of universal content. In its effect of color and form, Entrückt fully encapsulates the style of his Bauhaus period, with its abstract geometric language and color palette, while still bearing an element of symbolism in its composition. Kandinsky reduced his pictorial vocabulary as he furthered his investigations into form, with an increasing stylization and complexity. Entrückt is the product of such a synthesis, being entirely comprised of geometric archetypes in a layered pattern, which invite the viewer to explore the relationship between the forms themselves and their own relationship to the picture plane.