Lot 21
  • 21

Elena Liessner-Blomberg

Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
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Description

  • Elena Liessner-Blomberg
  • Design for a Wall Hanging
  • signed with initials and dated 21 II 1923 t.r.
  • gouache over pencil on paper
  • 11 by 8.5cm, 4 1/4 by 3 1/4 in.

Provenance

Galerie Gmurzynska
Acquired from the above in 1994

Condition

The sheet has been adhered to the mount at each corner, All edges but the top are slightly uneven and the sheet has discoloured in line with age. There is a very small tear in the right edge, below the artist's initials. Held behind glass in an attractive dark wooden frame. There is a Gmurzynska label on the reverse of the backing board. Unexamined out of frame.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Born in Moscow to an Austrian national from Riga and a Russian mother, Elena Liessner was exposed to the world of textile design from an early age. After the death of her father she helped her mother, a seamstress and corset maker, in her atelier on Petrovka, which was frequented by many actresses and dancers.

After the Revolution Liessner worked as a secretary at IZO Narkompros. In 1920 she entered VKhUTEMAS where she studied under Antoine Pevsner and Liubov Popova. Together with her friend, the German-Russian artist Eduard Schiemann, Liessner left Moscow and settled in Berlin, where she moved in avant-garde artistic circles and worked for the theatre. In 1924 she married the interior architect Albrecht Blomberg with whom she worked on projects in both Germany and abroad. After the War the family settled in East Germany. After a long hiatus, Liessner-Blomberg had a solo exhibition in East Berlin in 1969, which was followed by several exhibitions throughout the 1970s.