STEFAN THEMERSON | Enlarged film stills from Europa

a unique object, a sequence of 4 photographs, mounted together, annotated '9' [circled] and '10' [circled] in pencil on the mount, framed, 1931-32

By descent to Jasia Reichardt, Franciszka Themerson's niece, London  Ubu Gallery, New York, 1996

Europa: A Poem by Anatol Stern (London, 1962), unpaginated Georges Didi-Huberman, Atlas: How to Carry the World on One's Back?  (Madrid, 2010), p. 412

This unique object, comprised of 4 gelatin silver prints, on glossy paper, is in generally very good condition. Upon very close examination in high raking light, there are a few areas of faint soiling and some very thin hairline scratches on the photographs. There are scattered deposits of original retouching on the uppermost print. As visible in the catalogue illustration, the lower two prints have several small areas of rust-colored discoloration or deposits. As is typical with Themerson's photocollages, the mount is unevenly trimmed, there are rust-colored adhesive remains around the perimeter of the photographs, and the surface of each print is gently rippled, possibly a result of the mounting process. A thin fragment of an old overmat is affixed to the upper left of the mount. The reverse of the mount is tipped intermittently to a modern mount so that the reverse cannot be fully inspected. There may be adhesive remains along the lower edge on the reverse.
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.

Europa, created in 1931-32 by Polish avant-garde artists Stefan and Franciszka Themerson, is considered to be the first experimental Polish film.  It is based on Anatol Stern’s 1929 futuristic poem of the same name, in which he described the growing social tensions in Europe and the impending destruction of the continent.  Extant photocollages by Stefan Themerson are rare.  They were originally fabricated as visual recreations from their five short films, most of which no longer survive.  The original film reel for Europa was lost during the Second World War and photocollages such as that offered here are the only surviving visuals of this important document. This unique photocollage of consecutive film stills is from the last part of the movie: ‘Hips — Bread — Head,’ as captioned by the Themersons in their later reconstruction of the script.

Although Stefan Themerson intended the fifteen minute silent film to feel primitive, László Moholy-Nagy, who saw Europa in London in 1936, called it ‘a sophisticated film.’  It included all the photographic inventions favored by avant-garde artists and photographers: photogram, multi exposure, and photomontage.