Shadows and Light on the Face of Lucia Moholy

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy was a painter who became a photographer. Above all, he endeavoured to bring to photography new visual effects for which he captured his inspiration from all the avant-gardes of his time. The aesthetic theorist attracted the attention of Gropius and became an active teacher of the Bauhaus.

Sotheby's announces a photograph made around 1927-1929, a portrait of his young wife Lucia. The face is shown in close up, with a geometry of shadows and lights which suggests immediately the Suprematist paintings of Malevich. One eye is in shadow, the other is hidden by a lock of rebel hair. The mouth is also in the shade, but the rest of the face is fully in light.

Moholy-Nagy managed here a realistic photo with a trend to abstraction, or an abstract photo based on a portrait. This mixing of genres makes this work somehow a follower of the extraordinary "Octopus" from Coburn (1913), which is my favorite photo.

Our photo is in 40 x 30 cm size, without doubt a print made for exhibition. It is estimated $ 200 K, for sale in New York on March 30.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

240 K $ including premium. It is a good result. The photo market is still encouraging important works.