Lovis Corinth

Max Silberberg, Breslau
Heinrichsen, Berlin
Dr Arthur Rosin, Berlin & New York (acquired during the 1920s)
Karen Gutmann, New York (by descent from the above)
The Estate of Karen Gutmann, New York (sale: Sotheby's, London, 10th October 2001, lot 27)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Charlotte Berend-Corinth, Lovis Corinth, Die Gemälde, Werkverzeichnis, Munich, 1992, no. 904, illustrated p. 830

There is a natural bow to the panel and a vertical split to the centre of the panel. Glue has been applied to the reverse of the upper part of the split in order to stabilize it. There is a 4 by 2cm. area of retouching at the centre of the upper edge with a 5cm. vertical line of intermittent specks of retouching corresponding to the repaired split. There is a pinhead-sized spot of retouching and of paint loss towards the centre of the composition. All retouching is visible under UV light. Apart from some very minor paint losses at the right of the extreme upper edge, due to previous frame rubbing, this work is in good condition.
"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."

The paintings that Corinth completed during the last six years of his life are among his most stylistically daring. They demonstrate a higher level of abstraction than many of his earlier canvases and are explicitly modern interpretations of the natural world. The rich heavy impasto brushstrokes combined with a strong, deep palette is a characteristic of the artist's flower paintings. The bucket or vase positioned centrally in the painting is a motif that appears repeatedly in his still-lifes whilst the red, purple and orange tones, contrasted with the white and greys of the tablecloth and of some flower buds, create a sense of dynamic equilibrium within the composition.

When Corinth first exhibited in Berlin in the early 1920s, his new pictures met with resounding critical approval; he was hailed as a genius, and his recent work was called 'astonishing'. Many of these works were selected as the official German entries for the 1922 Venice Biennale and were considered representatives of the best avant-garde painting in Germany. Corinth's artistic success came at a time of increasing introspection that followed the war years. The artist was able to express his inward emotions through his painting, and the results of this effort were ultimately enriching for his art.

Painted in 1923, at the height of his career, Flieder im Glaskrug exhibits the richly expressive brushwork and vigorous, painterly style of Corinth's mature œuvre. Writing about these late works, Georg Bussmann commented: 'He rejoices in painting wet upon wet, in painting colour upon colour, in smudging them and then stopping suddenly and simply allowing them to glow; there is a quality of rage in making all this into a picture, into forcing a vision to emerge' (G. Bussmann, 'Lovis Corinth: The Late Works', in German Art in the Twentieth Century. Painting and Sculpture 1905-1985 (exhibition catalogue), Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1985, p. 436).