Wright Auction

he Bauhausbücher include volumes on Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and other leading artists and architects, and the layout and typography matches the importance of the work they chronicle. Neutra added his signature to Gropius's dedication in the first volume and his address, 835 Kings Road. At the time he lived in the radical studio-house that R.M. Schindler designed for two creative couples in what is now West Hollywood. The two architects quarreled and parted ways a few years after Neutra's arrival in 1925; Schindler remained at the home until his death in 1953, and Pauline Schindler, who turned the house into a gathering place for the avant-garde, lived on until 1977. In recent decades her vision has been reborn, and the house has become the MAK Center—an outpost of creativity, sponsored by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Vienna. 

Both an emblem of its own era and a timeless document, the present lot shows how great ideas can travel, and gives a glimpse into greatness.

The history contained in this set, especially on the dedication page, is unique and unparalleled. The 'new project' Gropius is referring to is nothing less than the Bauhaus. The new owner, Richard Neutra signed it to stake his claim, and also provided the address of the shining light of Los Angeles modernism, the Schindler house on Kings Road. The vision of Gropius and the founding fathers of modernism spread through the world, running from wars, starting new ways to look at and think about architecture and design. The Viennese and German idea of stripping down excessive layers to a strict functionalism, flourished and migrated—ending up at the foot of the Pacific Ocean in modernism’s quartz city, Los Angeles. On the West Coast of California, the International Style message blossomed after World War II. The concept inspired new generations of modernist designers, involved in the Case Study Program, and it still serves as a major touchstone for architects to this day. Both an emblem of its own era and a timeless document, the present lot shows how great ideas can travel, and gives a glimpse into greatness.