Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Galerie Krugier & Cie, Geneva
P. T. Nielsen, Copenhagen
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in the 1980s

Hanover, Kestner-Gesellschaft; Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum; Bern, Kunsthalle; Hagen, Karl Ernst Osthaus Museum; Stockholm, Modern Museet; Vienna, Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1964-65
Copenhagen, Galerie Passepartout, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1966
London, Hanover Gallery, Hundertwasser, Recent Paintings, 1967, no. 423, illustrated in colour
Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1976

Werner Hofmann, Hundertwasser, Salzburg 1965, pl. 26, illustrated in colour
Exhibition Catalogue, Geneva, Galerie Krugier / Galerie George Moos, Hundertwasser, 1967, illustrated in colour
Exhibition Catalogue, Berlin, Kunstverein, Hundertwasser, 1967, illustrated
Wieland Schmied, Hundertwasser, Salzburg 1974, p. 316, pl. 70, illustrated in colour
Sepp Ville, Träume sind große Taten, Vienna 1993, p. 75, illustrated in colour
Andrea Christa Fürst, Hundertwasser 1928 - 2000, Werkverzeichnis, Catalogue Raisonné Volume II, Vienna 2002, p. 386, no. 423, illustrated in colour

Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is deeper and richer in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is light wear and a few fine cracks in places along all four edges. There are two losses to the extreme turnover edges: one to the centre of the left edge and one to the centre right of the top edge, both only visible when unframed. There is a pin-head sized spot of loss towards the top centre of the composition. There is a small scratch with associated paint loss towards the centre right edge. Examination under ultra-violet light reveals signs of retouching in places along the bottom, right and left extreme edges. The artist confirms on a label on the reverse that this retouching is by his hand done during the Hundertwasser exhibition at Modern Museet, Stockholm in 1965.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The subtle interaction of spirals, energetic colours and ambiguous forms of this composition reveals the creative uniqueness in Hundertwasser's approach to painting whilst playing with the viewer's optical psychology. In the same instance, comparisons can be drawn between Hundertwasser's paintings and aspects of Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele's works, notably in the expressive earth tones and jewel-like vibrancy of the colours chosen by the artist. Works by Klimt and Schiele were exhibited in Vienna in 1948 and had a profound effect on the young artist. Their mesmerising surfaces and symbolic treatment of form were to make an ever lasting impression for Hundertwasser throughout his career.

Hundertwasser's affinity for natural processes created an aversion to severity and austerity and especially to straight lines, which he saw as the bane of modern architecture. As a solution to what he considered a drastic evil, Hundertwasser proposed that modern buildings be crowned by a layer of earth where grass, shrubs and trees would grow, and where even animals would graze. (Herschel B. Chipp and Brenda Richardson, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, San Francisco, 1968, p. 18). This somewhat romantic and idealistic taste for the natural and irregular is clearly made manifest in this painting.

Bête sur pieds is a wonderful example of the artist's exploration and play with colour which he treated with a primitiveness and intentional naiveté. The title, traditionally chosen to correlate with the image, here relates to a near abstract one; the viewer is encouraged to experience their own personal interpretation of what is before them and look inward, as was the artist's intention.

Comp:

Egon Schiele, Krumauer Landschaft (Stadt Und Fluss), 1916, oil on canvas, sold: Sotheby's, London, 23 June 2003 (lot 6)