European Paintings including German, Austrian & Central European Paintings and The Orientalist Sale

/

Lot 33
  • 33

Wilhelm Kuhnert

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Wilhelm Kuhnert
  • Beute (Prey)
  • signed and titled Kuhnert Beute on the reverse

  • oil on canvas

  • 45 by 70cm., 17¾ by 27½in.

Provenance

Acquired by the family of the present owner in 1920; thence by descent

Condition

The canvas is original, and the work is in excellent overall condition, with no retouching visible under ultraviolet light, and with rich colours and strong impasto. Held in a decorative, bronze-painted moulded plaster and wood frame with some loss to the upper edge.
"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

Painted circa 1916-20.

Kuhnert studied under the animal painter Paul Meyerheim (see following lot) in Berlin. His first trip to Africa in 1891-2 provided him with the opportunity to study the animals of the Serengeti and Masai for the first time in their natural habitat. Captivated by the beauty and excitement of the wild, and becoming an avid big game hunter, Kuhnert spent much time in the field, returning intermittently to Berlin to work up his sketches into finished paintings.

Kuhnert is today recognized as one of the greatest wildlife painters, his work the inspiration for successive generations of animal painters, such as David Shepherd. As Terry Wieland notes: 'no one painted African animals like Wilhelm Kuhnert. It is an opinion that is widely shared among Africa's professional hunters, men who have little tolerance for misrepresentations' (Wildlife Art News, July-August 1991, p. 46).