a unique object, on printing-out paper, titled and inscribed in German in ink and with the numerals '1' (circled) and '13' in pencil on the reverse, framed, early 1920s

This photogram is on brown-toned printing-out paper with a nearly matte-surface. The paper appears to have been trimmed by hand on the left, right, and bottom edges, presumably by the photographer; these edges are very slightly uneven. The principle condition issue is the visible diagonal crease running from the lower left edge to the upper right, as visible in the catalogue illustration. The edges of the crease have been reinforced on the reverse by a conservator to stabilize them. The conservator has also addressed a small crease in the upper left corner, reinforcing it on the reverse, and in-painting the crease where the white of the paper had shown through. This is visible only upon close examination. There is a small crease in the upper right corner, and a very small loss of emulsion. When viewed in raking light, several faint scuffs can be seen on the surface. There is a small transparent accretion adjacent to the right edge, below the crease. It is not known when the crease that diagonally transects the image occurred. Interestingly, there are two other photograms (fgm 30 and 74) from the same period that show similar diagonal creases. It is possible that these three photograms were kept or mailed together and were subject to the same handling. On the reverse of the present photogram, Moholy gives very specific information about how this image should be reproduced. His instructions, translated from the German, are as follows: 'Please pay attention to the image. The brown here is equivalent to the black. (or else one gets a dull flat gray).' Knowing that this image would be reproduced in black-and-white, Moholy's directions are meant to insure that the photogram would have the proper tonal values on the printed page. The conservator's treatment report is available upon request.
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.

This unique photograph comes from the generation of photograms Moholy-Nagy produced using flowers in the early 1920s.  While seven photograms of flowers executed between 1922 and 1925 are included in Moholy-Nagy, The Photograms: Catalogue Raisonné, the photogram offered here was not known to the compilers of the Catalogue prior to its publication.  It has since been issued the Catalogue Raisonné number fgm 423.  

For Moholy, flowers were ideal 'light modulators,' with their complex shapes and varying degrees of translucency, and he would repeatedly take them as subject matter for photograms in subsequent decades, making them, as Renate Heyne notes, 'the only recurrent motif in his photogram oeuvre’ (ibid, p. 65).  The wavering, sometimes doubled, edges of the alpine violets in the present photogram suggest that Moholy moved the flowers, perhaps multiple times, during exposure.  His choice of printing-out paper is significant, as it would have allowed him to see the image emerge during exposure, enabling him to guide and modify the composition ওas it was created.