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Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau 1881 – Berlin 1955). Evening Clouds. Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau 1881 – Berlin 1955). Evening Clouds. 1922. Oil on canvas. 79 x 100 cm. Signed and dated “HMPechstein 1922” in the lower left corner. Retouched. Relined. Pechstein was searching for a new vacation spot after Nidden had been placed under League of Nations mandate in 1920. Carrying only a backpack, he set out on foot toward the west and, in 1921, discovered Leba in Pomerania—a town that was still largely undeveloped for tourism—which would become the site of his summer stays for the next 24 years. As early as 1923, he married Marta Möller, a native of the town. The early years in Leba were particularly productive for Pechstein artistically, and his works were well received by critics. He painted the harbor of Leba shown here—with the distinctive fog bell for shipping in the background—in many variations, including seasonal ones. In addition to the course of the Leba River, the glowing clouds and their reflections in the river, together with the horizon line, create a strong sense of dynamism in the center of the painting. - Bibliography: Catalogue raisonné: Soika II, 1922/22. We thank Aya Soika for further valuable information - Provenance: In 1946, according to a photograph, in the artist’s possession; Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York, 1975; Galerie Franke, Munich, 1975; Hauswedell Auction House, Hamburg, 206th Auction, June 7, 1975, Cat. No. 1431; most recently a private collection in Hamburg—German painter and printmaker of the “Brücke” group, one of the most significant Expressionists. After training as a painter, P. studied at the School of Applied Arts and at the Dresden Academy, most recently from 1903 to 1906 as a master student of O. Gussmann. As early as 1906, he joined the “Brücke” artists’ group. The following year, a scholarship enabled him to travel to Italy and Paris. P. subsequently settled in Berlin, where he became a member of the Secession and president of the Neue Secession, which led to his expulsion from the “Brücke” in 1912. In 1918, he was one of the founding members of the “November Group.” The professorship at the Berlin Academy, which he had held since 1923, was revoked by the Nazis in 1933. In 1937, he was also expelled from the Academy, and numerous works of his were displayed in the “Degenerate Art” exhibition. He spent most of his self-imposed exile in Pomerania. As early as 1945, P. resumed his professorship at the Academy of Arts in Berlin and subsequently received numerous honors and awards. His works were exhibited posthumously at Documenta I in 1955. Museums: Berlin (Brücke Museum, National Gallery), Dresden (City Art Gallery), Cologne (Ludwig Museum, Wallraf-Richartz Museum), Zwickau (Pechstein Museum), Zurich (Kunsthaus), Ludwigshafen (Wilhelm Hack Museum), and others. Lit.: Thieme-Becker, Vollmer, and others.
[ translate ]Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau 1881 – Berlin 1955). Evening Clouds. Hermann Max Pechstein (Zwickau 1881 – Berlin 1955). Evening Clouds. 1922. Oil on canvas. 79 x 100 cm. Signed and dated “HMPechstein 1922” in the lower left corner. Retouched. Relined. Pechstein was searching for a new vacation spot after Nidden had been placed under League of Nations mandate in 1920. Carrying only a backpack, he set out on foot toward the west and, in 1921, discovered Leba in Pomerania—a town that was still largely undeveloped for tourism—which would become the site of his summer stays for the next 24 years. As early as 1923, he married Marta Möller, a native of the town. The early years in Leba were particularly productive for Pechstein artistically, and his works were well received by critics. He painted the harbor of Leba shown here—with the distinctive fog bell for shipping in the background—in many variations, including seasonal ones. In addition to the course of the Leba River, the glowing clouds and their reflections in the river, together with the horizon line, create a strong sense of dynamism in the center of the painting. - Bibliography: Catalogue raisonné: Soika II, 1922/22. We thank Aya Soika for further valuable information - Provenance: In 1946, according to a photograph, in the artist’s possession; Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York, 1975; Galerie Franke, Munich, 1975; Hauswedell Auction House, Hamburg, 206th Auction, June 7, 1975, Cat. No. 1431; most recently a private collection in Hamburg—German painter and printmaker of the “Brücke” group, one of the most significant Expressionists. After training as a painter, P. studied at the School of Applied Arts and at the Dresden Academy, most recently from 1903 to 1906 as a master student of O. Gussmann. As early as 1906, he joined the “Brücke” artists’ group. The following year, a scholarship enabled him to travel to Italy and Paris. P. subsequently settled in Berlin, where he became a member of the Secession and president of the Neue Secession, which led to his expulsion from the “Brücke” in 1912. In 1918, he was one of the founding members of the “November Group.” The professorship at the Berlin Academy, which he had held since 1923, was revoked by the Nazis in 1933. In 1937, he was also expelled from the Academy, and numerous works of his were displayed in the “Degenerate Art” exhibition. He spent most of his self-imposed exile in Pomerania. As early as 1945, P. resumed his professorship at the Academy of Arts in Berlin and subsequently received numerous honors and awards. His works were exhibited posthumously at Documenta I in 1955. Museums: Berlin (Brücke Museum, National Gallery), Dresden (City Art Gallery), Cologne (Ludwig Museum, Wallraf-Richartz Museum), Zwickau (Pechstein Museum), Zurich (Kunsthaus), Ludwigshafen (Wilhelm Hack Museum), and others. Lit.: Thieme-Becker, Vollmer, and others.
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