Sale: Christie’s, London, 6th July 1971, lot 38
Galere Gunzenhauser, Munich
Davlyn Gallery, New York (acquired by 1982)
Sale: Sotheby’s, New York, 12th November 1988, lot 124
Private Collection, USA (sold: Sotheby’s, London, 30th June 1992, lot 24)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Munich, Galerie Gunzenhauser, Die Künstler des Blauen Reiters und ihre Freunde, 1975, no. 31
New York, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Kandinsky in Munich: 1982-1914, 1982, no. 178, illustrated in the catalogue
Jerusalem, The Israel Museum, Wassily Kandinsky: The Colour of Abstraction, 1999, illustrated in colour in the catalogue (titled Woman Pouring Beer)
London, Royal Academy of Arts, Kandinsky Watercolours and other Works on Paper, 1999, no. 3, illustrated in colour in the catalogue
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Fondation Maeght, Rétrospective Vassily Kandinsky, 2001, no. 14, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Erika Hanfstaengl, Wassily Kandinsky. Zeichnungen und Aquarelle. Katalog der Sammlung in der Städtischen Galerie im Lenbachhaus München, Munich, 1974, p. 157
Vivian Endicott Barnett, Kandinsky Watercolours, Catalogue Raisonné, London, 1992, vol. I, no. 205, illustrated p. 185

Executed on wove paper, not laid down, hinged to the mount on the reverse of the top two corners, floating in the mount. There are remnants of tape and glue from previous mounting on the reverse. There are small spots and lines of retouching in the white pigment along the top, visible under ultra-violet light. The top left corner has a repaired tear, there are small paper losses in the extreme lower corners and very small tears at the extreme top, left and right edges. Apart from some very small nicks to the edges and small abrasions in the blue pigment, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Entwurf für eine Affiche einer französischen Brauerei, executed by Kandinsky in Paris, is a rare example of his early work which was influenced by his visit to the French capital. Kandinsky arrived in Paris, accompanied by Gabriele Münter, in May 1906. The couple found lodgings in a house on a hill in Sèvres which had a view of the Eiffel Tower. Their time spent in Paris was initially dominated by visiting the museums and galleries, but towards the end of the year Kandinsky’s interest in sight-seeing waned and his work absorbed him. Discussing the present gouache within the context of the artist’s year in Paris, Frank Whitford writes: ‘Ambitious and aware of its status as the artistic capital of the world, he had shown his work in Paris since 1904, most recently at the Salon d’Automne of 1905, the show that marked the emergence of the Fauves. […] The subjects and style of his gouaches, most of them still painted on black paper, did not change. Apart from one unusual design for a poster advertising beer [the present work]’ (F. Whitford, Kandinsky Watercolours and other Works on Paper (exhibition catalogue), op. cit., pp. 35-36).

In the entry for the present work in the catalogue raisonné Vivian Endicott Barnett has commented: ‘A preliminary drawing is contained in a sketchbook, which Kandinsky used when he lived near Paris in 1906-7. Moreover, the inscription in French indicating where the text should appear offers convincing proof that the poster study was done for a French Brewery. However there is no evidence that such a poster was executed. The large figure of a woman pouring a beer is set against a bright blue background; an artist with palette and easel is included at the lower right. The tall chimneys in the background resemble those in the drawing of ‘Rennes’ on page 19 of the same sketchbook’ (V. E. Barnett, op. cit., p. 185).