Max Liebermann

Gina Freund, Vienna (possibly acquired from the artist)
Wilhelm Freund, United Kingdom (by descent from the above)
By descent from the above to the present owner

Hamburg, Hamburger Kunsthalle & Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie, Im Garten von Max Liebermann, 2004-05, no. 46, illustrated in colour in the catalogue (with incorrect medium)
Leicester, New Walk Museum & Art Gallery (on loan 2004-09)

The board is stable and there are no signs of retouching visible under UV light. Apart from a small nick to the extreme top right edge, this work is in good original condition.
"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."

Property from the Collection of the late Wilhelm Freund

Sotheby's is honoured to present the wonderful group of works by Max Liebermann from the Collection of the late Wilhelm Freund in the Impressionist and Modern Art auction on 4^th February 2009. 

Wilhelm 'Willy' Freund (1915-1963), born in Pilsen, Bohemia on 2^nd May 1915, was the only son of the Viennese banker, Dr. Richard Freund (1878-1934) and his wife, Gina (née Rubel) (1892-1935). By the 1920s the family had moved to Vienna when Wilhelm's mother acquired a collection of Max Liebermann paintings. One of the works offered here, Birken am Wannseeufer nach Osten, was even exhibited in Vienna in 1929 at the show 50. Jahresausstellung der Genossenschaft der bildenden Künstler Wiens mit Ausstellung Max Liebermann at the Künstlerhaus.

Educated in France and Vienna, Wilhelm Freund immigrated to England in 1935 shortly after the death of his parents, inheriting their extensive collection of German Impressionist and nineteenth-century art as well as property in Vienna and Berlin. In England, Freund read law and had enrolled at Oxford University in 1937 just before the German Anschluss of Austria in 1938.

In 1938 a substantial number of the artworks were stored in Berlin awaiting permission for them to be exported. The only works which Freund succeeded to take with him were the Liebermann paintings. The remaining collection stayed in Berlin and Vienna, confiscated by the Nazis.

With the onset of war Freund joined the Royal Air Force and returned to Oxford obtaining a further degree in agriculture. Freund was a passionate farmer on his estate in Oxfordshire as well as a director of a firm of investment bankers. Several works of Freund's collection have been traced and in some cases restituted. However, the whereabouts of other remaining pieces are either unknown or further research needs to be done.

Blumenterrasse im Wannseegarten nach Osten, is a wonderful depiction of Liebermann's favourite subject matter: His garden and villa at Wannsee. 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 country houses the artist saw in Hamburg and when it was completed, Liebermann even referred to his villa and garden as his Klein-Versaille. The artist took great pride in it 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 designed his garden following the most avant-garde contemporary garden design concepts and created a haven of colours and floral splendour.

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Exterior view of Wilhelm Freund's villa, Vienna, 1930s