PAUL KLEE | Wildes Tier im Bann (Wild Animal at Bay)

Lily Klee, Bern (the artist's widow; acquired in 1940)
Klee-Gesellschaft, Bern (acquired from the above in 1946)
Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne (acquired from the above in 1950)
Galerie Feilchenfeldt, Zurich (acquired from the above in 1950)
Frederick C. Schang, South Norwalk, New York
Private Collection, Texas (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 12, 1987, lot 181)
Simon/Neuman Galleries, New York (acquired at the above sale)
Satani Gallery, Toyko
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Lucerne, Galerie Rosengart & traveling, Paul Klee, 1948-49, no. 52
Munich, Haus der Kunst, Paul Klee, 1954, no. 207
Tokyo, Santani Gallery, Paul Klee, 1990, no. 27, illustrated in the catalogue

Frederick C. Schang, Paul Klee, Collection of F.C. Schang, South Norwalk, 1952, no. 46
Frederick C. Schang, Paul Klee, Collection of F.C. Schang, South Norwalk, 1953, no. 46
The Paul Klee Foundation & Museum of Fine Arts, Bern, eds., Paul Klee, Catalogue Raisonné, vol. VIII, London, 2004, no. 7965, illustrated p. 149 & in color p. 120

This work is in excellent condition. Executed on cream wove paper which has been attached to the artist's mount along the edges of the verso sheet. The medium is extremely bright and fresh.There is a horizontal crease which extends along the upper register of the sheet, likely inherent to the original 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.

Executed in 1939, the most productive year in Klee’s career, Wildes Tier im Bann is a fantastic and vivid example of the artist’s ability to blend natural elements and geometric forms into a captivating and dream-like image. Verging between abstraction and figuration, this image of a beast is built of bold colors divided by thick outlines. The resulting highly stylized form is simultaneously playful yet ominous, the dangerous creature at bay surely not unrelated to the charged atmosphere of Europe on the brink of war. Indeed, Wildes Tier im Bann displays the strength and confidence of execution characteristic of the artist’s best works. Against the backdrop of pre-war Europe, 1939 marked a period of particularly great international recognition and success for Klee. The year marked the occasion of his sixtieth birthday, and numerous articles lauding him as a pioneer of artistic modernism were published in Switzerland and abroad, cementing Klee's legacy as one of the most significant artists of his generation.