L13006

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拍品 58
  • 58

馬克思·列伯曼

估價
1,200,000 - 1,800,000 GBP
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描述

  • Max Liebermann
  • 《萬湖花園別墅》
  • 款識:畫家簽名 M. Liebermann(右下)
  • 油彩畫布
  • 70.5 x 90.2公分
  • 27 3/4 x 35 1/2英寸

來源

Dr Arthur Rosin, Berlin & New York (acquired from the artist by 1929)
The Leo & Karen Gutmann Foundation, New York (acquired by descent from the above. Sold: Sotheby's, New York, 6th May 2003, lot 6)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Condition

The canvas is unlined. There are two small spots of retouching in the upper left corner visible under ultra-violet light, which correspond to a small area of repair on the reverse. Apart from some very slight stable craquelure, this work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly more vibrant in the original.
"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."

拍品資料及來源

Mein Haus in Wannsee, mit Garten is one of Liebermann’s most magnificent large-scale depictions of his gardens on the Wannsee. It portrays the luxuriant rose garden which featured in many canvases throughout the mature period of his career. Having attained considerable recognition and financial success by the early 1900s, Liebermann commissioned this villa in 1909, sparing no expense on its formal flower beds, exotic shrubs and thick hedges (fig. 1). The rose garden, depicted here in full bloom in the summer of 1926, was one of the highlights of the property. The canvases Liebermann produced at Wannsee share a particular quality; one that exudes a reassuring sense of freedom, both in subject and technique, and convey the contentment Liebermann derived from spending time at his country villa.

The Wannsee villa became Liebermann’s beloved summer residence for the last decades of his life and the paintings from this period show his garden in all its glory. The villa was modelled on the country houses he saw in Hamburg, renowned for their comfort and splendour. When it was completed, Liebermann even spoke about it as his ‘Klein-Versaille’. The artist took great pride and paid special attention to the design and layout of his garden. In collaboration with his friend Alfred Lichtwark, director of the Kunsthalle in Hamburg at the time, Liebermann developed the garden following the most avant-garde garden designs to create a haven of colours and floral splendour. The layout of conventional flowerbeds interspersed with vegetable patches was an advanced horticultural concept, and one that made the garden a particular source of joy and inspiration for his paintings throughout the summer months.

Discussing certain important influences on the painter’s work, Barbara C. Gilbert writes: ‘Liebermann’s paintings of his garden environment often evoke comparisons with works by other artists of the time, especially Monet’s paintings of his gardens at Giverny. Liebermann was well aware of Monet’s garden paintings – he owned two: Manet Painting in Monet’s Garden in Argenteuil, 1875, which depicts a rented home in the Paris suburb of Argenteuil where Monet lived before moving to Giverny, and Poppy Field, which Liebermann inherited from Felicie Bernstein. There are similarities between the experiences of the two artists: their personal involvement in planning their gardens as subjects for their paintings; their creation of compelling works based on relatively small, controlled areas; and their dogged persistence in painting the same subject with varying interpretations’ (B. C. Gilbert, Max Liebermann: From Realism to Impressionism (exhibition catalogue), Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, 2006, p. 51).

The year after Liebermann executed the present work the Prussian Academy of Arts celebrated Liebermann’s eightieth birthday by holding a major retrospective of his work. The city of Berlin named him a ‘citizen of honour’ and he was commissioned to paint two portraits of Paul von Hindenburg, who was at the time the President of Germany. These late years of recognition and veneration by the German public recognised his uniquely important form of post-impressionist art as exemplified by Mein Haus in Wannsee, mit Garten. After it was completed in 1926, Liebermann sold the present work to Dr Arthur Rosin around 1929. Dr Arthur Rosin (1879-1974) was a financier and a generous patron of the arts who sat for numerous portraits by Lovis Corinth and acquired a significant collection of German Impressionist paintings before emigrating to the United States. Some of the collection passed to his daughter Karen Gutmann who, alongside her husband, established The Leo & Karen Gutmann Foundation. This work was sold by the Foundation in 2003 in order to continue their support of students enrolled in studying the History of Art, Archaeology and Conservation.