Albin Egger-Lienz

Leopold Hauer, Vienna (by 1930)
Acquired by the family of the present owner circa 1960

Curt Weigelt, Albin Egger-Lienz, Berlin, 1914, p. 53, pl. 6, illustrated
Giorgio Nicodemi, Albino Egger-Lienz, Brescia, 1925, p. 33
Heinrich Hammer, Albin Egger-Lienz, Innsbruck, Vienna & Munich, 1930, p. 268, catalogued; p. 62, illustrated
Wilfried Kirschl, Albin Egger-Lienz: Das Gesamtwerk, Vienna & Munich, 1996, vol. I, p. 84, illustrated & discussed; vol. II, p. 524, catalogued

The composition has been executed on two canvases, with a vertical join in the right third, in the wooden pillar separating the Virgin and Child from the peasants. The canvas has not been lined. There is a U-shaped strip of paper overlaying the canvas to the left and right (in the pillars), and below the Virgin and Child onto which the artist has painted the composition. There are some small areas which fluoresce green under ultraviolet light (however some of these could be the adhesive with which the paper has been applied). The spot of fluorescence in the right leg of the central standing peasant does appear to be retouching, and some of the strokes in the Virgin and Child and figures to the left may be retouching but could be the artist's original pigments. There are some lines of craquelure and associated pinhead-sized paint flaking to the paper join in the left pillar, and a stain in the post's cross-beam to the upper left. Overall this work is in good condition. Held in a decorative dark-stained wood, grey-painted, and lightly gilt frame, under glass. The pigments are slightly warmer in the original than in the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Painted circa 1904, the present work is a premier pensée for the large oil Die Wallfahrer of 1906 in the collection of the Städtische Kunsthalle, Mannheim (Kirschl, no. M204).