Ludwig Knaus

Royal Collections of Dresden (acquired in 1881 and until at least 1907)

"Notes on Art and Archaeology," The Academy and Literature, vol. XVIII, no. 426, July 3, 1880, p. 16
The Artist and Journal of Home Culture, vol. II, no. 13, January 1, 1881, p. 27
"Paintings of the Day, II 'Behind the Scenes' by Ludwig Knaus," Illustrated American, vol. 11, no. 126, July 16, 1892, p. 418, illustrated opp. p. 397
Ludwig Pietch, Knaus, Bielefeld, 1901, illustrated opp. p. 62, no. 54
Julia de Wolf Addison, The Art of the Dresden Gallery, Boston, 1907, pp. 384, 985

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work is in particularly good condition. The canvas has been lined with glue as an adhesive. The painting may be slightly dirty. Under ultraviolet light, one can see that the bulk of the picture is unretouched. There is retouching to a loss on the upper right edge and another on the lower right edge, a spot in the hanging laundry, and to a few cracks in the lower left corner. The work should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Painted in 1880, Behind the Scenes was soon purchased for the reported sum of £1,750 by the Dresden Gallery where it drew immediate critical and popular reaction for its “picturesque” and “romantic” subject full of “humor, pathos and a hint of tragedy” ("Paintings of the Day, II 'Behind the Scenes' by Ludwig Knaus," Illustrated American, vol. 11, no. 126, July 16, 1892, p. 418).   The travelling circus was a popular subject among artists and both the joy of the spectacle and the often challenging life “behind the scenes” were easily understood by audiences. Upon viewing the work one critic aptly described that “for their theater” the troupe “have merely stretched some sail cloth across from tree to tree and behind this… the clown in pointed peruke and many coloured garments holds on his knee a tiny infant whom he is feeding before a little stove upon which a dish of potatoes is being kept warm, the sole supper provided for these poor players after their exertions ("Notes on Art and Archaeology," The Academy and Literature, vol. XVIII, no. 426, July 3, 1880, p. 16). 

With Behind the Scenes, Knaus’ academic training is evident in his construction of the composition as a stage itself with the figures placed in the center foreground allowing viewers to interpret relationships between their postures and expressions. Some read a subtle threat in the “gallant” who has crept into the tent to admire the beautiful star of the show while others believed the clown a noble figure to care for his baby while his wife, unseen, performed onstage. These complex interpretations are further prompted by Knaus’ great attention to detail, demonstrating his study of Dutch seventeenth century genre painting, and his dynamic use of color which made him one of the most successful German painters of the nineteenth century.  Moreover, in his ability to capture the “reality” of these performers’ daily life, critics applauded Knaus’ rigorous study of nature and the life of German peasant and working classes that had informed his production for decades.  As one writer explained, “Ludwig Knaus most certainly have [sic] passed many an hour in intimate association with the gipsies [sic] of the sawdust ring, to have mastered such minuteness of detail, such convincing fidelity of feeling as characterize the example of his genius” (“Paintings of the Day,” p. 418).