Anselm Feuerbach

Grand Duke of Oldenburg (Gemäldegalerie Oldenburg)
Dr Richard Freund, Vienna
Wilhelm Freund, Vienna (inherited from the above in 1934; Wilhelm 'Willy' Freund, born in Pilsen, Bohemia on 2 May 1915, was the only son of the Viennese banker, Dr. Richard Freund (1878-1934) and his wife, Gina Rubel (1892-1935). Wilhelm Freund studied Law and had enrolled at Oxford University in 1937 before the German Anschluss of Austria in 1938.  After his father died, Willy Freund inherited parts of his nineteenth-century and German Impressionist art collection, including the present work. Feuerbach's Medea had been placed with the shipper Gustav Knauer for eventual shipping, but was confiscated by the Viennese municipal authorities on 10 December 1938 to prevent it being taken abroad)
'Secured' by the Viennese municipal authorities on 10 December 1938
Österreichische Galerie (Neue Galerie in der Stallburg and latterly the Belvedere), Vienna (from 1939, inv. no. 3704)
Restituted to the heirs of Wilhelm Freund in 2009

Vienna, Österreichische Galerie, Neuerwerbungen, 1939, no. 46
Vienna, Österreichische Galerie (Neue Galerie in der Stallburg and later the Belvedere), Vienna (from 1939 until 2009)

Hermann Uhde-Bernays, ed., 'Feuerbach. Des Meisters Gemälde', Klassiker der Kunst vol. XXIII, Stuttgart & Berlin, 1913, p. 155, catalogued & illustrated, p. 188, listed
Historisches Museum der Pfalz, Speyer, ed., Anselm Feuerbach, exhibition catalogue, 2002, p. 53, illustrated
Sophie Lillie, Was einmal war, Vienna, 2003, p. 371, illustrated

 

Original canvas. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultra-violet light. Apart from some light frame rubbing along the edges, this work is in very good condition, with fine detail and rich tones. Held in a wide, decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood 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."

In Greek mythology, Medea was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children: Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of Corinth, offers him his daughter, Creusa. The play tells of how Medea exacts her revenge on her husband for his betrayal by murdering her own children.