- 97
Adolph von Menzel
Estimate
3,000 - 4,000 GBP
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Description
- Adolph Menzel
- Young woman with her right arm raised and subsidiary studies of her hair and her hand
- Graphite and chalk and stumping;
bears the Adolph Menzel Nachlaß and Hauptzollamt Wuppertal stamps on the reverse
Provenance
Estate of the artist
Walter Westfeld, Wuppertal-Elberfeld (until April 1937 or after)
Guido Kern
Sold by Franziska Kern in November 1942 to the Deutsche Reich for the Führermuseum, Linz
Held by the German Federal Government after 1945 as “ownerless” property
Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover, Germany (on loan from the above)
Restituted by the German Federal Government to the Westfeld heirs in 2016
Walter Westfeld, Wuppertal-Elberfeld (until April 1937 or after)
Guido Kern
Sold by Franziska Kern in November 1942 to the Deutsche Reich for the Führermuseum, Linz
Held by the German Federal Government after 1945 as “ownerless” property
Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover, Germany (on loan from the above)
Restituted by the German Federal Government to the Westfeld heirs in 2016
Condition
The artist's thin sheet has been laid onto a thin sheet of papercard of the same size, probably in the artist's lifetime or shortly thereafter as the card bears the artist's estate stamp on the reverse. Light staining around the edges. Tiny tear at the left margin in the centre and a few small losses further up the left margin. Medium is strong and vibrant.
"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."
"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
Another more finished, signed and dated drawing of the same composition is in Frankfurt at the Städel Museum (inv. no. 12980).1 Our study appears to be an earlier stage in the development of this figure, which shows a more rapid approach to the subject, concentrating on the basic outlines and using less chalk than in the Frankfurt drawing. It has not been possible to connect this young woman to any figure in Menzel's known painted oeuvre, however it is plausible that the Frankfurt drawing was the final stage, as many of Menzel's late drawings were executed as works of art in their own right.
1. H. Ebertshäuser, Adolph von Menzel das graphische werk, 2 vols, Munich 1976, vol II, p. 1331, reproduced