Lovis Corinth

Dr Arthur Rosin, Berlin & New York (acquired from the artist in the 1920s)
Karen Gutmann, New York (daughter of the above)
The Leo and Karen Gutmann Foundation (sold: Sotheby's, London, 9th October 2002, lot 7)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Lovis Corinth, 1923, no. 95
Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Lovis Corinth, 1926, no. 343
New York, Curt Valentin Gallery, 1953, no. 12 (titled Moon Landscape)
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, European Masters of Our Time, 1957, no. 28, illustrated in the catalogue (as dating from 1924)
Regensburg, Ostdeutsche Galerie & Bremen, Kunsthalle, Lovis Corinth: Die Bilder vom Walchensee, Vision und Realität, 1986, no. 47, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Howard Devree, 'Boston Challenge; Two Shows Expound Modern Movement', in The New York Times, New York, 20th October 1957, illustrated
Charlotte Berend-Corinth, Die Gemälde von Lovis Corinth, Werkkatalog, Munich, 1958, no. 874, illustrated p. 782

The canvas is unlined. Apart from a few small spots of retouching at the left framing edge, visible under ultra-violet light, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although slightly fresher and 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."

Painted in 1922, the present work depicts a view of the Walchensee, where Corinth and his wife had their summer residence. The moonlight highlights the Karwendel mountain range and the Alps beyond that form a backdrop to the lake. The present painting is one of the most powerful works from Corinth's major series of views of the Walchensee that he painted during the early 1920s, shortly before his death, as the last great summation of his artistic vision.

The Walchensee is seen here from the Kanzel, a small hill on its shores that formed part of Corinth's property in Urfeld where the house stood and, as Charlotte Berend-Corinth later recalled, 'from which one enjoyed the most extensive view' (C. Berend-Corinth, op. cit., p. 812, translated from the German). The present composition, with its nocturnal purples and blues above the greens of the Kanzel, centres on a tall larch that rises proudly and symbolically from the meadows below. In the left foreground, nestling close by the shore, can be seen the Hotel Fischer am See. This moonlit scene of harmony and quiet drama is one of the most fully realised and compelling of Corinth's late landscapes, in which his Impressionist brushstroke is combined with a bold expressiveness of colour.