Ink, charcoal, and gouache on tan paper, c.1910-20. 470x273 mm; 18 1/2x10 3/4 inches.
Provenance: Estate of Rudolf Bauer (minority shareholder); Borghi & Co., NY; Herbert Lerner Fine Art, Boca Raton, FL; Portico NY Inc.
The female figure depicted here is most likely drawn from a live subject. Her likeness is repeated in many of Bauer's early figurative works, though the identity of this model is unknown.
Rudolph Bauer was one of the early pioneers in Non-Objective art, a form of abstraction void of recognizable imagery and reliant on line, color, and form to evoke an emotional and even spiritual reaction from the viewer.
In 1915 Bauer became involved with Der Sturm, a gallery in Berlin run by Herwarth Walden. Walden promoted Bauer's works as well as artists active in der Blaue Reiter. Also involved with Der Sturm was Hilla Rebay. Bauer and Rebay developed a relationship, at first romantic but eventually a business venture driven by their mutual passion for the promotion of Non-Objective art.
This gouache, and the following drawing are part of a body of illustrative work Bauer created before, and into his time affiliated with Der Sturm.
