Leo Putz

Sale: Neumeister, Munich, 21 March 2001, lot 148
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Helmut Putz, Leo Putz 1869-1940, Werkverzeichnis in zwei Bänden, Wolnzach, 1994, vol. II, p. 683, no. 651, illustrated

This painting is in good condition and could benefit from a professional surface clean. The canvas has not been lined. There is a handful of minor old pinhead-sized spots of paint flaking in the right leg of the rightmost figure, visible under close inspection, and a very small area of light surface abrasion in the ground above the signature. Under ultra-violet light the old varnish layers fluoresce evenly and rather opaquely making the surface difficult to read with certainty, however only minimal signs of retouching are visible, notably to the right framing edge. The colours overall are more luminous and stronger in reality than in the catalogue illustration, and somewhat more yellowed overall owing to the old varnish layers. Presented in a decorative gilt and silver-gilt frame.
"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 1921 the present work relates to the series of drawings, sketches and oil paintings titled Reigen (see Helmut Putz, nos. 646-652).

Putz was born in Meran (modern-day Merano in Italy), then part of Austria-Hungary, but as a boy he moved with his family to Munich. He studied at the Munich Academy, and from 1891-92 at the Académie Julian in Paris under William Bouguereau and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. Despite his academic training, Putz was far more interested in the avant-garde subjects and impressionistic forms of expression being pioneered by his contemporaries, particularly Gauguin and Renoir, which would inform his own work.

On his return to Munich, Putz exhibited at the Munich Secession in 1895 alongside Franz von Stuck, and with Franz Erler formed the avant garde artistic group Die Scholle. He went on to become a Secessionist in Berlin and Vienna, where Gustav Klimt's figural painting had a profound influence on his work. Putz's individualistic style in turn inspired a succeeding generation of German painters, including Lovis Corinth and Edward Cucuel.

Leo Putz had to leave Germany in 1915 as he was considered a public enemy by the 'Räterepublik'. The following years he spent in exile in The Hague. Putz and his family returned to Gauting in Bavaria in 1923 when he was honoured with an honorary membership of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. Painted whilst in exile, the carefree joy of the dancers depicted in the present work can therefore be read as the artists' antidote to the horrors of the First World War and political repression, an exuberant assertion of artistic freedom.