MARK TOBEY

(1890-1976)

Untitled 12 x 13.5cm (4 3/4 x 5 3/8in). (image size)
15.9 x 14.9cm (6 1/4 x 5 7/8in). (sheet size)

Footnotes

Achim Moeller, Managing Principal of The Mark Tobey Project LLC, has confirmed the authenticity of this work. This work is registered in the Mark Tobey archive under no. MT [261-4-3-19] and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Provenance
Ross Woodman Collection, US (gift from the artist)
Private Collection, Canada (gift from the above)
Acquired from the above by the present owner


Born in 1890, Mark Tobey was one of the most influential American Abstract Expressionist artists of the 20th century.

Tobey's works represent a conscious synthesis of the East and West, successfully harmonising two seemingly contradictory worlds. His extensive travels to East Asia had a lasting and transformative influence on his artistic vision. Particularly formative were his visits to Japan and China, where he explored Asian calligraphy techniques.

In 1934, Tobey spent a month in a tranquil Zen Buddhist monastery in Kyoto, where he practiced meditation, studied calligraphy, and wrote poetry. This slow period deepened his spiritual understanding and affirmed his sense of belonging to both Eastern and Western cultures. During these visits, he closely studied Japanese sumi ink techniques and brushwork to understand their calligraphy practices. By 1957, under the profound influence of his experiences in the Far East, Tobey began to focus on Japanese ink painting, marking a significant evolution in his artistic journey and his penetration into the world view of the East.

Tobey's deep religious beliefs and, particularly, his conversion to the Bahá'í faith in 1918 at the age of 28, infused his work with a sense of spiritual unity. Bahá'í, a religion which unites all religions, with its sense of the unity of all mankind, has guided Tobey throughout his life. His encounters with Baha'i and Zen Buddhism led him to introduce the techniques and concepts of the Orient into Western art.

The present work, executed in 1958—the same year Tobey was awarded the Grand International Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale—belongs to his acclaimed Sumi series. This body of work is widely regarded as a defining period in Tobey's oeuvre, showcasing his mature synthesis of technique, spirituality, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Inscribed 'To Ross Oct 24, 1958', the work was dedicated and gifted to Tobey's close friend Ross Woodman, who would later deliver the eulogy at the artist's funeral in 1976, and subsequently gift the piece to the present owner.