Max Liebermann

Private Collection, Paris (by 1900)
Paul Cassirer, Berlin (by 1903)
Stadtrat Max Cassirer, Berlin (purchased from the above on 16th November 1903)
Confiscated from the above by the Gestapo in September 1941
Consigned for sale on 20th January 1942 at Hans Lange, Berlin
Withdrawn from the above sale by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg and delivered to the National Socialist Party (NSDAP) in July 1942
Colombier, Paris
Hans Kirstein & Cia., Rio de Janeiro, purchased from the above in 1951
Max Lewinsky, Sao Paulo, purchased from the above on 11th March 1953; thence by descent, until 2004

Berlin, Galerie Franz Gurlitt, Werke deutscher Meister aus Privatbesitz, II. Ausstellung, 1915, no. 60
Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Max Liebermann, 1923, no. 44
Berlin, Jüdische Gemeinde, Max Liebermann, 1936, no. 29
Vienna, Neue Galerie, Max Liebermann, 1937, no. 31

Hans Rosenhagen, Max Liebermann, Bielefeld & Leipzig, 1900, p. 85, illustrated
Gustav Pauli, Max Liebermann. Des Meisters Gemälde, Stuttgart-Leipzig, 1911, p. 246; p. 107, illustrated
Erich Hancke, Max Liebermann. Sein Leben und seine Werke, Berlin, 1914, pp. 356 & 537
Erich Hancke, Max Liebermann. Sein Leben und seine Werke, Berlin, 1923, p. 356
Edouard-Joseph, ed., Dictionnaire biographique des artistes contemporaines, vol. 2, Paris, 1931, p. 395, illustrated
Matthias Eberle, Max Liebermann. Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde und Ölstudien 1865-1899, Munich, 1995, p. 460, no. 1897/2, catalogued, discussed & illustrated
Berlin, Was vom Leben übrig bleibt, sind Bilder und Geschichten: Max Liebermann zum 150. Geburtstag; Rekonstruktion der Gedächtnisausstellung des Berliner Jüdischen Museums in 1936, 1997, no. 29, illustrated

Original canvas. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultraviolet light. Apart from scattered surface dirt and minor hairline craquelure, notably to the upper centre, and some very minor dots of abrasion to the rear of the cow, this work is in very good original condition, with a strong surface and rich tones. Held in a decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame with a name plate.
"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."

Painted in 1897.

The previous owner of the present work, the Charlottenburg industrialist, magistrate and politician, Max Cassirer, was forced to flee Germany with his wife, Hedwig, and their children in the winter of 1938-1939. Max left behind both his illustrious career (he had studied medicine in Breslau and Berlin, but first made his fortune in the timber trade) and his wonderful villa on the Kaiserallee, today the Bundesallee, in Berlin. The Cassirers fled first to Switzerland and then onwards to England, where Max died in January 1943. After their departure from Berlin, the Cassirers' villa was eventually emptied in 1942 and given over to the Japanese embassy. Max's art collection was sold between 1942 and 1943 in a series of forced sales, although the present work was confiscated by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg on behalf of the Reich before it could proceed to auction.