Leo Putz

(Meran 1869–1940)
Unter dem Orangenbaum (Under the Orange Tree), signed and dated Leo Putz 1929, oil on canvas, 65 x 60 cm, framed
Listed and illustrated:
Helmut Putz, Leo Putz. 1869–1940. Catalogue Raisonné in two volumes, Gauting 1994, vol I., p. 322, full page ill., vol. II, p. 796, cat. rais. no. 1502 (there titled "Mulattin mit Orangen")

Provenance:
Private Collection, South Tyrol
Private Collection, Tyrol

Literature:
Eva Gratl, Carl Kraus, Colors - Hommage an die Vielfalt/ Ommagio alla diversita, Sparkasse/Cassa di Risparmio (ed.), Bozen 2023, p. 98/99, ill.

In January 1929, Leo Putz arrived in São Paulo, Brazil, with his family to visit relatives. What was meant to be a short visit turned into four years, during which he came to appreciate the new world of colours, light, and the rhythm of life. The experience of the untouched, lush nature in harmony with the natural life of the indigenous people provided him with a wealth of inspiration. However, he initially had difficulty finding models, as they feared that painting would cause them to lose their souls. He preserved only a few of these early portraits, including this painting of a young mulatta.

It is an excellent example of the "Brazilian Expressionism" (Ruth Stein) that Putz developed, inspired by the intensity of the colours. Formally, everything is focused on reduction: the contour drawing, the limited colour harmonies of green, brown, white, and orange create concentration, while the dynamically applied layers of colour and the free brushwork lend the depiction its particular expressiveness.