MUNICH.- Georg Flegel is not only one of the most famous European still life painters of the early 17th century, but also the first German artist to specialize in this genre. A masterpiece of his creation will be called up in Ketterer Kunst 's auction of Old Masters & Art of the 19th century with an estimate of € 90.000-120.000 on 24 May.
Georg Flegel's famous “Schrankbild“ (”Cupboard“), today in possession of the National Gallery in Prague, was made in close connection with the “Stillleben mit Blumenstrauß und Glaspokalen“. It is an independent version of the upper half of the Prague “Schrankbild“, which explains the unusual frontal view on contrary to the normally slightly aslant perspective. Flegel's mastery becomes particularly obvious in the execution of the delicate glasses, the light reflections on their transparent surfaces seem to form a relief. The painting's amazing freshness is largely owed to the bouquet with flowers from different seasons of the year.
Georg Flegel, Still life with Flowers and Glass Goblets. Oil on canvas, c. 1610/20s, 43 x 54 cm (16.9 x 21.2 in). Estimate: € 90.000-120.000.
PROVENANCE: Private ownership France.
Gallery Rafael Valls, London 1993/94.
Private collection Northern Germany.
EXHIBITION: Georg Flegel 1566-1638. Stilleben, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main 1993, cat. no. 22, p. 108, illu.
The Lure of Still Life, Galerie Lingenauber, Düsseldorf 1995, p. 44, no. 1, illu.
LITERATURE: Gallery Rafael Valls, Recent Aquisition, London 1990.
Anne-Dore Ketelsen-Volkhardt, Georg Flegel. 1566-1638, Munich/Berlin 2003, cat. no. 67 (illu. in black and white on p. 276).
Alongside Federico Barocci's red chalk drawing ”Studie eines stehenden Mannes nach rechts (Auferstandener Christus)“ from 1590/1609, estimated at € 15.000-20.000, the range of offerings in the section of Old Masters is complemented by, among others, Albrecht Dürer's small copper engraving ”Der Reiter (Ritter, Tod und Teufel)“ from 1513, which has been estimated at € 18.000-24.000.
Federico Barocci , Study of a standing man to the right (Risen Christ). Around 1590/1609. sanguine. Estimate: 15.000 EUR / $ 20,850.
On fine laid paper (with watermark "lily in a circle", including two "S"), with slightly irregular edges of the media. Approx. 34.3 x 21 cm (13,5 x 8,2 in), size of sheet. Accompanied by a written confirmation by Nicholas Turner, Halstead, dated 18 March 2014 (copy). With oral confirmation of Professor Ugo Ruggeri, Venice ( nd) and Prof. Andrea Emiliani (2012), which will start the drawing in his next publication to Barocci. PROVENANCE: Collection Cesare Frigerio (1890-1977), Milan (with collector's stamp, Lugt 4363)?. Collection Dr. Giorgio Dalla Bella (b. 1923), Milan (with collector's stamp, Lugt 3774). privately owned Italy. This sheet shows a characteristic red chalk drawing from the late Barocci. The artist produces for the topic "Christ appears Magdalene (Noli me tangere)" some varying studies on, in particular the figure of Christ. One of these studies shows Christ in a very similar attitude as on the present sheet, but executed in black chalk heightened with white with. It is owned by the Graphic Arts Collection of the Albertina in Vienna (Inv. No. 25631) and listed in the catalog raisonné of the artist (Andrea Emiliani, Federico Barocci, Ancona 2008, pp. 81, No. 47/C9). Shown is the Risen Christ, who in his empty grave grieving Mary Magdalene with the words "Noli me tangere" (Berühr not me) responds and orders her to tell the disciples of the miracle of the resurrection (John 20.11-17 ). Barocci, this scene a total of three paintings represents the earliest version from 1590 is located in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich (Inv. No. 494), two formed a little later on the one in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and in the Allendale Collection, Bywell Hall, in England. [CB].
Albrecht Durer (Nuremberg 1471 - 1528 Nuremberg), The Rider (The Knight, Death and the Devil), 1513. Estimate: 18.000 EUR / $ 25,020
thengraving. Bartsch 98 74 Meder c / d (of g). Schoch / Mende / Scherbaum 69 In the panel on the signature tablet with the monogram and dated. Previously nuanced pressure on fine laid paper, trimmed minimally irregular on the presentation. 24.3 x 18.6 cm (9.5 x 7.3 in). "[..] Parallel image fills a rider to the fore. He is just clamped in the image rectangle that the left hind hoof of his horse almost touches the edge . the shouldered lance ends front and back out of the picture. His armor is precious, but, measured by the Year 1513, she works antiquated. Not all armor pieces fit together. When the man had to supplement the course of his military life pieces gradually. For he is, his face, no longer young, but after damaligem understanding with over fifty an old, albeit in terms of forces unused man. His attitude in the saddle and stirrups is blameless. The rider interacts with the horse familiar as the horse with him . He holds the reins, but tightened so that the animal will be taken back something in his forward thrust. placed ears attentive to the front, it searches its way. because the is rocky, concentrated by a growing up rock wall also. An eerie place, [...] with ghostly aufragendem bare vegetation, exposed roots, a human skull in the sand, a salamander. A shaggy dog goes next to the left hind leg of the horse on foot. He, too, not a young animal, also, as shown by the big ears, at this moment, not without fear. A castle appears above the head of the knight in the background in daylight - an indication that the place with all the eeriness is not far removed from human doings. [...] This level of reality is described Dürer contrasting another, unearthly to the side. Two sinister figures, by the not be seen from the riders point of view limiting helmet and the position of a figure in the back, appear eerie, as if they had waylaid him. The front, riding on a nag to their neck an hour or death knell depends, embodied in the late medieval notion of death. [...] He has the man an hourglass, Common symbol of the ongoing human lifetime. But located in the upper part of the still slowly trickling down the sand, so that the threat of death is not enough of current awfulness. As a man of war the rider must have been a constant trusty companion of death. [...] The hybrid creatures at the right edge represents the devil. With its animal snout and the forward curved, large forehead horn he is like the devil in Dürer's woodcut "Christ in Limbo" by 1510. [...] The weapon is pushed away from the knight as he could the devil that's not dangerous. Dürer knowingly allow the viewer of the sheet in the dark about whether the rider death and the devil looks not only in spirit. [...] "(Matthias Mende, in: Schoch / Mende / Scherbaum, pp. 169f.) [CB]..
Along with Franz von Defregger, whose oil painting “Die Werbung“ (estimate € 40.000-60.000) picks up a highly emotional theme, Alfred von Wierusz-Kowalski's “Glückliche Kutschfahrt“ (estimate: € 30.000-50.000) contributes to the section of Art of the 19th century. The work is not only captivating for its surprising perspective, but also for the subtle yet dynamic style, which adds great liveliness to the motif.
With his lovely observations of animal life, Alexander Koester, who is represented with several works, creates a particularly impressive atmosphere. His oil painting “Enten am See“ expresses freedom in nature in the best tradition of Naturalism and will enter the race with an estimate of € 30.000-40.000. Another work, “Sechs Enten am Teichufer“, has been estimated at € 25.000-35.000.
The same estimate has been tagged to Ferdinand Olivier's ”Campagnalandschaft mit befestigter Stadt“. The artist, one of the most important representatives of the Nazarene movement, had never been to Italy at all, however, works by his brother Friedrich impressed him so much that his own illustrations gradually became Italian ideal landscapes. Accordingly, in our oil painting the unspoilt landscape with the typical villages and rock formations is almost tangible. His works are very rare on the art market.
Edward Theodore Compton's oil painting “Bei Kaprun: Mooserbodental mit Blick auf den Karlinger Gletscher“ possesses a truly documentary value. The work from 1916 by Compton, who is represented with roundabout a dozen works, captured the original view into the Mooserboden Valley, which was turned into a barrier lake after damming the mountain creek “Kapruner Ache“. In the late 1940s, some 30 years after the painting (estimate: € 18.000-24.000) was made, a massive dam over a length of 500 meters and a height of 100 meters was build at the end of the valley. Today the lake holds 160 million cubic meters of water and serves the purpose of power generation.
Next to Oskar Mulley's impressive painting ”Berghof“ (estimate: € 20.000-30.000), Heinrich Bürkel's c. 1850 oil painting ”Beim Hufschmied im Gebirge“ (estimate: € 15.000-20.000) and Francisco de Goya's seventh edition of the series of 80 sheets ”Los Caprichos“ (estimate: € 8.000-12.000), Pierre-Auguste Renoir's ”Le Chapeau épinglé (deuxième planche)“ (estimate: € 30.000-40.000) is also guaranteed to make for excitement in the auction room.
Francisco de Goya (1746 Fuendetodos - 1828 Bordeaux), 80 Bll.: Los Caprichos. 1799. Aquatintaradierungen in Blauschwarz. Estimate 8.000 EUR / 11.120 $.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 Limoges - 1919 Cagnes-sur-Mer), Le Chapeau épinglé (deuxième planche). 1898. Farblithografie. Estimate 30.000 EUR / 41.700 $.
The range of offerings of art of the 19th century is completed by, among others, Paul von Franken's ”Kaukasus“ (estimate: € 10.000-15.000) and Camille Bellanger's ”Die Plauderei“ (estimate: € 8.000-10.000), Anton Doll's oil painting ”Verschneites Dorf“ and Heinrich von Zügel's ”Schafe im Pferch“ (estimates: each € 7.000-9.000), as well as by two bronze works by Wassily Jakowlewitsch Grachev (estimate: € 9.000-12.000 and € 5.000-7.000).