LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on canvas

Measurements:

25.59 in. (65.00 cm.) (height) by 31.89 in. (81.00 cm.) (width)

Markings:

signed 'WOLS' (lower right)

Exhibited:

(possibly) New York, Hugo Gallery, Wols, First American Exhibition, 1951. Bern, Kunsthalle Bern, Tendences actuelles, (troisième exposition): Bryen, Sam Francis, Mathieu, Tobey, Wols, Michaux, Pollock, Riopelle, Tancredi, 1955, no. 129 (titled Composition au fond bleu). Venice, XXIX Biennale Internazionale d'Arte di Venezia 1958, no. 25 (titled Compostion II). Paris, Grand Palais, Jean Paulhan à travers ses peintres, 1974, no. 700. Paris, Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris-Paris Créations en France, 1937-1957, 1981, no. 690 (titled Composition). Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Wols: Bilder, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, Photographien, Druckgraphik, 1989-1990, no. 251 (illustrated, p. 305). This exhibition later travelled to Dusseldorf, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. Paris, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Azur, 1993 (illustrated in colour, p. 135, titled Composition). Geneva, Musée Rath, 1945-Les figures de la liberté. Nouvelles expressions de l'immédiat après-guerre, 1995-1996, no. 54 (illustrated in colour, p. 100, titled Composition). Hamburg, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Sammlung Wald, 2003.

Literature:

P. Restany, Cimaise: Revue de l'Art actual, series 6, vol. I, October-November 1958 (illustrated, p. 18, titled Composition). W. Hofmann, 'Der Maler Wols', in Werk, May 1959, fig. 5 (illustrated, p. 183). P. Restany, Lyrisme et Abstraction, Milan 1960 (illustrated, p. 17). E. Crispolti, L'Informale: storia e poetica, Rome 1971, vol. IV (illustrated, pl. VII, titled Composition). S. Chiba, L'oeuvre de Wols, catalogue raisonné, Paris 1974, p. 117. F. LeGris-Bergmann, Composantes plastiques etc. de Wols, Paris 1976, no. 456. C. van Damme, Kunst als Catharsis en Psychogenese. Het exstreem subjectivistisch kunstscheppen van de Duitse surrealistische en informele kunstenaar Wols 1913-1951, Ghent 1985, no. 411, fig. 99 (illustrated, pp. 626ff and 272ff). V.I. Sprenger Viol, 'Die Improvisationen des Malers Wols', in Luzerner Tagblatt, November 1989 (illustrated, unpaged). V.I. Sprenger Viol, 'Die Improvisationen des Malers Wols', in Nidwaldner Tagblatt, November 1989 (illustrated, unpaged). I. van Beek, 'Wols..Un peintre maudit', in Journal du Jura, December 1989 (illustrated, unpaged). 'WOLS au Kunsthaus Zurich', in Voir, January 1990 (illustrated, unpaged). D. Baer-Bogenschütz, 'Röntgenblick enthüllt gemalte Rätselwelten', in Giessner Anzeiger, January 1990 (illustrated, unpaged). 'La perspective du vécu', in Beaux-Arts, no. 76, February 1990 (illustrated, pp. 62-63).

Provenance:

Hugo Gallery (Alexander Iolas), New York. (possibly) Jean Fautrier, Châtenay-Malabry. (possibly) Zervos, Bern. Galerie Tarica, Paris. Hubertus Wald, Hamburg, by whom acquired from the above in 1973.