Lot 38
  • 38

Eugen von Blaas

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description

  • Eugen von Blaas
  • Anticipation
  • signed and dated Eug. de Blaas / 1911 lower right
  • oil on canvas
  • 80.5 by 45.5cm., 31¾ by 17¾in.

Provenance

Galerie Gommeter, Hamburg (label on stretcher)
Purchased by the parents of the present owner in the 1950s; thence by descent

Condition

The canvas has not been lined. The work is in good condition and presents very well. There are some scattered lines of fine craquelure, notably in the sky, which appear to be stable, and some drying craquelure in the red fabric of the girl's skirt. Ultra-violet light reveals a few small spots of retouching in the girl's white blouse and in the yellow skirt, and some very finely applied touches in the aforementioned craquelure in the sky to the left and in the floor. Some fluorescence is visible in the clouds, in the girl's neck and in the stonework- however this appears to be associated with the artist's pigments. The hull of the gondola also fluoresces under UV light and could be associated to strengthening. The work is ready to hang. Presented in a decorative gilt frame, glazed, with a nameplate.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Eugen von Blaas was famed for depicting beautiful Italian women at work or in the company of admiring suitors. Anticipation shows a dark haired young woman leaning her elbow on a balustrade overlooking the Venetian lagoon. She dreamily gazes towards the water, where a gondola is just coming into view. The precise technique and bright palette of Blaas’ Venetian genre scenes were in tune with the Venetian tradition of painting. Famed for his depictions of everyday life in Venice, Blaas' very commercial subjects and finely painted, vividly coloured canvases found a ready market among the wealthy travellers and tourists visiting the city. Above all he strove to capture the inherent beauty of the Italian women with vignettes of their conversations in the street or courting with lovers.

Von Blaas' marriage into a wealthy Italian family would give him the exposure and means that would earn him the sobriquet 'painter of Venetian beauties.'  This magical city of water and light had enchanted countless artists throughout the centuries, however Blaas' chosen subjects were not the floating city's architectural landmarks or sweeping vistas. Rather, he captured the day-to-day lives of Venice's citizens amid the ancient masonry of intimate courtyards and unassuming back streets. According to Thomas Wassibauer, Blaas often 'contrasted the decaying grandeur of old Venetian stone with...young people...his young people live their lives within the old walls of a still important city, and become links in an apparently endless chain of generations who carry the Venetian traditions and way of life' (Thomas Wassibauer, Eugen von Blaas, Das Werk, Hildesheim, 2005, p. 19).