Karl Hubbuch

Fischer Fine Art, London
Michael Hasenclever, Munich
Nancy Schwartz Fine Art, New York (acquired in 1989)
Acquired from the above by the present owner

London, Arts Council of Great Britain, Neue Sachlichkeit, 1978
London, Daniela Luxembourg Art, Lonely Prophets: German Art from 1910 to 1930, 2007, illustrated in the catalogue

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount at various points on all four edges, floating in the mount. There is a join running horizontally across the sheet two thirds of the way down. There are numerous artist's pinholes running along all four edges of the sheet, as well as two either side of the uppermost figure. There are two repaired tears to the centre of the upper edge, one 8cm. long the other 6cm. There is a flatterned crease running across the upper right corner with a 5cm. associated tear. There is a 5cm. repaired tear to the centre of the bottom edge and two small incisions to the left edge in the bottom corner. Apart from undulations to the sheet caused by the mounting and some uneveness to the edges, this work is in overall good condition. Colours: The yellow tones are stronger in the original.
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Im Atelier epitomises the artist's Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) precision of draughtsmanship and clarity of vision. The present work stands out as a powerful and arresting image from the peak of Hubbuch's style, depicting modern, emancipated German womanhood with the newly-acquired self-confidence typical of the changes that occurred after the First World War. The light wash of colour throughout the composition allows Hubbuch to pick out the details of particular faces to a great effect. The pink tones of the lips contrasting with the blue eyes of the two women to the right of the picture plane, gives a tonal highlight to the composition, a technique which Hubbuch frequently employed in his works on paper. The artist here is more interested in the traits of special types rather than the individual, allowing the viewer both to concentrate on a particular character within the group yet remain distanced from her inner personality.