Christian Schad

Private Collection (from 1934)
Kunstkabinett G. A. Richter, Rottach-Egern
Galerie Neher, Essen
Private Collection, Germany (acquired from the above circa 1985)

Berlin, Sonderausstellung Christian Schad, 1930
Wiesbaden, Neues Museum, Alte und neue Romantik, 1934
Berlin, Austellung Berliner Kunst. Am Königsplatz, Haus am Königsplatz, 1935
Milan, Galleria Levante, Christian Schad, Bilder 1920-1930, 1970, no. 68, illustrated n.p.
Rome, Galleria il Fante di Spade & Modena, Galleria Mutina, Christian Schad. Dipinti dal 1920 al 1930, 1970
Milan, Palazzo Reale, Christian Schad, 1972
Bologna, Galleria d'Arte Stivani, Christian Schad, 1973
Nuremberg, Kunsthalle Nuremberg, Drei Generationen: Menschenbilder von Christian Schad, Eberhard Schlotter, Peter Sorge, 1975, no. 52
Essen, Galerie Neher, Christian Schad: Blickpunkte, Gesichter, Landschaften, 1982, no. 5, illustrated in colour

Sport im Bild, Berlin, 1934, vol. 36, no. 15, illustrated on the cover
Andrea Heesemann-Wilson, Christian Schad, Expressionist, Dadaist und Maler der neuen Sachlichkeit: Leben und Werk bis 1945, (dissertation), University of Göttingen, 1978, no. 118, p. 290
Bettina Mirabile, Realismo e Visionarietà nell'Arte di Christian Schad 1894-1982 (dissertation), Rome, 1996, no. 129, p. 370
Günter A. Richter, Christian Schad, Germany, 2002, illustrated in colour p. 233
Thomas Ratzka, Christian Schad 1894-1982, Catalogue raisonné, Paintings, Cologne, 2008, vol. I, no. 120, illustrated in colour p. 183

Painted on parchment laid down on board which is stable. UV examination reveals some small lines of retouching running intermittently along the extreme edges and a further tiny spot towards the upper left corner, in the background. There is an uneven layer of varnish and some light paint shrinkage mainly to her hair. Otherwise, this work is in overall good 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."

Christian Schad painted the elegant portrait Maria Fidelius im Profil in 1930, at the very peak of his involvement with the pictorial ethos of Neue Sachlichkeit. His production dwindled soon after this, and the political events of the day also took their toll, contributing to the obscurity in which his career languished until the rediscovery of his work during the second half of the 20^th century.

Schad often drew on the techniques of the old masters, which in his hands lent a disquieting sense of timelessness to his sharp and clear portraits of contemporary fashions and trends of Weimar Berlin society. His portrait of Maria Fidelius is a typical example of this tendency, combining a sleek and painstakingly detailed portrait of the modern-looking woman with the classical portrait techniques of the Italian Renaissance. Depicted in profile looking to the left in a simple blue dress and set against a brown background with her blond hair fashionably combed back, Maria Fidelius im Profil, like Freundinnen and Eva von Arnheim, both executed in 1930, could be considered a painted bas-relief.

'The most striking, best groomed, and most beautiful women that I met as I sojourned in different parts of Europe were the women of Berlin' (the artist, quoted in Christian Schad and die Neue Sachlichkeit (exhibition catalogue), Neue Galerie, New York, 2003, p. 233).