Das Geistreich, Rudolph Bauer Museum, Berlin
Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Fischer Fine Art Ltd., London
Larry Harvey, California (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, February 16, 1989, lot 85)
Acquired at the above sale

New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Art of Tomorrow, 1939, no. 14, illustrated in the catalogue

Overall this work is in very good condition. The board is stable with some very slight undulation throughout. The corners of the board have been reinforced on the reverse and the edges are reinforced with tape. The surface is clean. Under UV light there are a few pindot retouches near the upper right corner and two small surface scratches which have been retouched near the center of the upper right quadrant. There are a few other pindot retouches around the center of the top edge, otherwise fine.
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.

The present work is a dynamic and vibrant example of Bauer's dramatic Expressionist style which he developed at Der Sturm between 1916 and 1920. It was at this time that Bauer first encountered Kandinsky, and the mutual influence is visible in works by the Russian master of the same period (see fig. 1). By 1925 Bauer permanently abandoned this expressive, biomorphic style in favor of more geometric constructions as seen in the previous lot, and as a result early masterpieces such as the present work are exceptionally rare. The precise relationships of color, line and form are a testament to Bauer's inspired yet meticulous process, improvising with complete fluency of emotion and technique while carefully maintaining balance and harmony in a unified composition. The turbulent aura and ominous black forms may stem from the coinciding horrors of World War I inhabiting Bauer's subconscious, but the work itself remains a completely autonomous object, entirely invented and original. As Bauer himself said, "A painting should not interpret but create, art means giving birth...a painting should not be an imitation but a complex by itself; nature was not fashioned after nature, it was created. The same should apply to painting" (quoted in Der Sturm (exhibition catalogue), Berlin, 1917).