Max Pechstein

Kunsthandel Dr Rainer Horstmann, Düsseldorf (acquired by 1965)
Herbert Tannenbaum Gallery, New York (acquired by 1968)
Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York (acquired by 1968)
Galerie Aenne Abels, Cologne (acquired by 1971)
Galerie Thomas, Munich (acquired by 1972)
Private Collection, Baden-Württemberg (acquired between 1973-82)
Sale: Hauswedell & Nolte, Hamburg, 12th June 1982, lot 1161
Private Collection, Germany (purchased at the above sale)
Thence by descent to the present owner
 

New York, Leonard Hutton Gallery, Fauves & Expressionists, 1968, no. 95, illustrated in the catalogue

Aya Soika, Max Pechstein: Das Werkverzeichnis der Ölgemälde, 1905-1918, Munich, 2011, vol. I, no. 1917/33, illustrated p. 50

 

The canvas is lined. Examination under UV light reveals no signs of re-touching. There are some very fine lines of craquelure and paint shrinkage in places throughout the composition and some minor spots of paint loss within the upper left quadrant. This work is in overall 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."

Painted in 1917, the present work is a powerful example of the artist's mature Expressionist style. Although this was a period when Pechstein produced fewer works, the intensity of his painting was considerably increased. With its luscious colouration of saturated oranges, greens and blues, Stillleben mit Weinflasche und Fruchtschale demonstrates Pechstein's debt to the Fauve painters as well as his admiration for Van Gogh and Cézanne.

The art critic Paul Fletcher commented on Pechstein's remarkable stylistic development: 'The strong impact evident in Pechstein's later works is probably due to his acquired balance between experiences and his own creation. In his earlier work either one or the other is dominant whereas in the later years Pechstein found the perfect harmony. The artist abandons the stylisation of forms and creates compositions in which the elements of colour, shape and form merge into one organic whole' (quoted in Max Pechstein im Brücke-Museum (exhibition catalogue), Brücke-Museum, Berlin, 2001-02, p. 44, translated from German).