August Macke

Dr Hubert Zink, Bonn (acquired by 1918 and until at least 1953)
Sale: Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, 5th June 1982, lot 385
Frank Jaegger, Munich
Private Collection, USA (acquired from the above in 1985. Sold: Sotheby's, London, 3rd February 2004, lot 16)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Dresden, Galerie Ernst Arnold, August Macke, 1913
Cologne, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Das junge Rheinland, 1918 (titled Blumen vor dem Fenster)
Hannover, Kestner-Gesellschaft, XVI. Sonderausstellung August Macke - Heinrich Nauen, 1918, no. 17
Bonn, Gesellschaft für Literatur und Kunst, Städtisches Museum Villa Obernier, August Macke, 1918 (titled Blumen vor dem Fenster)

Gustav Vriesen, August Macke, Stuttgart, 1953, no. 365
Gustav Vriesen, August Macke, Stuttgart, 1957, no. 365a, illustrated p. 328
Martina Ewers-Schultz, Die französischen Grundlagen des 'Rheinischen Expressionismus' 1905 bis 1914, Münster, 1996, illustrated p. 242
August Macke (exhibition catalogue), August Macke Haus, Bonn, 2003, illustrated p. 136
Ursula Heiderich, August Macke, Gemälde, Werkverzeichnis, Ostfildern, 2008, no. 459, illustrated p. 455

The canvas is unlined. Apart from some small horizontal lines of retouching in the yellow pigment in the upper right, visible under ultra-violet light, this work is in good condition. Colours: In comparison with the printed catalogue illustration, the colours are overall fairly accurate, although slightly less warm in the original.
"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."

Macke was one of the first members of the Blaue Reiter group to recognise the importance of post-Impressionist art, and to adapt the colour-theories of the French avant-garde artists to his own style. He first visited Paris in 1907, and in 1909 he saw the works of the Fauve artists whose bold use of vibrant colours had a strong impact on Macke. Of particular importance was the work of Robert Delaunay, whom he met during his last trip to Paris in 1912. In the present work, the influence of Delaunay's Orphism is visible mainly in the top half of the composition, in which a view through the window is rendered in brightly coloured, overlapping geometric forms. Macke makes no attempt to give an illusion of depth and perspective. Instead, the vase of flowers appears to be floating against the geometrically composed background, emphasising the artist's interest in pure colour and form.