KURT SCHWITTERS | Ohne Title (Land) (Untitled (Land))

Galerie Berggruen, Paris (acquired by 1954)
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above on November 17, 1955

Brooklyn, The Brooklyn Museum, Masterpieces from the Collection of Governor Rockefeller, 1962, no. 25
New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Twentieth-Century Art from the Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller Collection, 1969, no. 136, illustrated in the catalogue

Dorothy Canning Miller, ed., The Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection: Masterpieces of Modern Art, New York, 1981, illustrated in color p. 90
Karin Orchard & Isabel Schulz, eds., Kurt Schwitters, Catalogue raisonné, vol. III, Hanover, 2000, no. 3368, illustrated p. 567

The work is in very good condition. The work is executed on cream wove paper. There are remnants of tape in upper corners on the verso and skinning, likely the result of the sheet being removed from its mount. There is a faint matte stain around the perimeter and there is slight overall toning to the sheet.
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.

Created in 1946, Land dates to immediately after World War II. While Mz 430 (the previous lot) is measured in its construction, Land’s torn edges and scribbling suggest a certain franticness. Schwitters suffered a stroke in June 1945, which might explain the stylistic divergence of Land from the artist’s earlier work. Indeed, Schwitters would pass away the following year.