Werner Mantz

mounted to buff-colored card, signed and annotated in pencil on the mount, date and numerical notations in pencil on the reverse, framed, 1929

This early, toned print is on paper with a faint surface sheen. An exceptional level of detail is visible throughout the image, from the texture of the walls to the glint on the glass light fixtures. This photograph is in generally excellent condition. As is visible in the catalogue illustration, there are 2 small areas of original retouching along the upper edge of the image, likely intended to mask flaws in the negative. This print has very thin margins. Upon close examination in raking light, a small area of soiling is visible along the lower left margin corner. The mount is worn at the periphery and there are isolated small rust-colored areas along the lower and right edges. The upper left corner of the mount is creased, with a small resultant tear. The reverse of the mount is faintly soiled. The following are written in an unidentified hand in pencil: 'V_3'; '144'; and '6540A.'
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.

Werner Mantz is widely regarded as one of the most gifted architectural photographers of the twentieth century.   He garnered early acclaim for his work as a freelance architectural photographer in the late 1920s in Cologne, Germany, and in the 1930s in Maastricht, the Netherlands.  His modernist photographs of building facades, stairwells, or atriums (see Lot 92) boldly illustrate the Neue Sachlichkeit movement in architecture. 

A print of this image is in the collection of The J. Paul Getty Museum.  No other print of this image is believed to have appeared at auction.