Sale: Stuttgarter Kunstkabinett, April 8, 1949, lot 1519
Private Collection
Galerie Flinker, Paris (until circa 1977)
Private Collection
Fuji TV Gallery, Japan
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by the present owner 

Paris, Galerie Karl Flinker, Kandinsky: 82 oeuvres sur papier de 1902 à 1944, 1977, no. 5, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Vivian Endicott Barnett, Kandinsky Watercolours. Catalogue Raisonné, 1900-1921, vol. I, New York, 1992, no. 332, illustrated p. 298

Work is window mounted with tape around all four edges. Sheet is slighty time-darkened. While the majority of the watercolor is fresh and vibrant, there are some slighty faded pigments especially the yellow in the lower right and turquoise in the lower left. Some fox marks are faintly visible in the less worked areas. Overall the work presents extremely well and is in very good condition. On verso, there are remnants of former taping around all four edges. Verso overall shows significant staining from previous acidic mat. Also there is scattered foxing throughout the verso.
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 1913, Kandinsky's abstract composition was produced at the height of his involvement with the artistic group Der Blaue Reiter. Its seeming🦂ly spontaneous nature belies a highly sophisticated and multi-faceted composition, which employs gradations of vibrant waterc﷽olor wash, overlaid with dynamic contours which dance across the sheet.

Der Blaue Reiter was composed principally by Kandinsky, August Macke, Fra🀅nz Marc, Gabriele Münter and Lyonel Feininger. The group was instrumental in liberating art from the constraints of the academic tradition, and believed that spiritual truths could be expressed symbolicall⭕y through color and form. This intuitive approach to painting is evident in the present work, which conveys the sense of vitality and immediacy that is so readily associated with Kandinsky's work.   

Ohne Titel is highly e൩xpressive, conveyingꦜ an openness and fluidity that would later become more controlled when Kandinsky turned to geometric abstraction. In this sense, the work also reflects the artist's use of music as an impetus for the creation of images.