Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Tokyo Gallery, Tokyo
Sale: Sotheby's, London, Post-War and Contemporary Art, 1 December 1988, Lot 673
Chalk and Vermillion Fine Arts Ltd., New York
Galerie Andre Simoens, Knokke
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in the 1990s

Hanover, Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hundertwasser, 1963-4, p. 197, illustrated in colour
Geneva, Galerie Krugier & cie; Galerie Georges Moos, Hundertwasser, 1967, illustrated in colour

Hundertwasser Vollstandiger Oeuvre-Katalog, Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover, 1964, no. 488
Harry Rand, Hundertwasser Der Maler, Munich 1986, p. 65, illustrated in colour
Andrea Christa Furst, Hundertwasser 1928-2000, Catalogue Raisonné, vol. II, Cologne 2002, p. 419, no. 488, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is evidence of wear and handling to the corners and edges of the canvas. The spots of brown and blue paint throughout appear inherent to the artist's working method. There is a slight undulation to the sheet to the sides of the work, which is visible under raking light. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"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."

Rain in the Meadow is a stunning example of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s extraordinarily distinctive style: a truly glorious celebration of the power of the spiral as opposed to the tyranny of the straight line. Painted during the artist’s eventful stay in Japan between February and August 1961 – during which Hundertwasser was awarded the Mainichi Prize at the 6^th International Art Exhibition in Tokyo and exhibited his work at Tokyo Gallery – Rain in the Meadowdepicts serried terraces of rice paddy fields, swollen and shimmering after a heavy downpour. Variously coloured spirals, seeming to represent smaller groups of paddy fields, dot the blue, whilst a striking bird’s eye perspective allows the onlooker to admire the effect from above. Clearly inspired by the traditional artistic practices of Japan as well as its astonishing scenery, Hundertwasser chose to paint on a delicate surface of rice paper, infusing the colours with a glowing luminosity.

Born in Vienna in 1928, Hundertwasser was profoundly influenced by the work of the leaders of the Viennese avant-garde, in particular Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Aged twenty, the artist was deeply moved by two major exhibitions in Vienna which allowed him to fully appreciate, for the first time, the paintings of both Schiele and Klimt. The inspiration of Klimt especially can be glimpsed within Rain in the Meadow in the sinuous use of line and the proliferation of organic forms within the composition; the rich palette and thick texture are further reminiscent of the Viennese master. Whilst Klimt also experimented with the use of the spiral, it is Hundertwasser who truly discovered its artistic and symbolic potential, utilised to brilliant effect in the present lot. Striking red, yellow, and green spirals of wild, organic beauty take shape as concentric circles and labyrinthine squares, delineating the edges of paddy fields. Rain in the Meadow ultimately displays Hundertwasser’s wonderful ability to depict a traditional landscape subject through entirely new forms of painterly expression, epitomising the sheer beauty of his unique, instantly recognisable, pictorial language.