Gabriele Münter

Dalzell Hatfield Galleries, Los Angeles
Virginia Steele Foundation, Pasadena 
Sale: Christie's, New York, 21st October 1980, lot 64
Sale: Christie's, London, 24th June 1986, lot 149
Galerie Neher, Essen
Acquired from the above by the present owner by 1992

Los Angeles, Laguna Beach Museum of Art, Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962, 1978
Hamburg, Kunstverein Hamburg; Darmstadt, Hessisches Landesmuseum & Aichtal Aich, Sammlung Eisenmann, Gabriele Münter, 1988
Munich, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962, Restrospektive, 1992, no. 192, illustrated in the catalogue
Berlin, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Gabriele Münter, Restrospektive, 1993, no. 192 

The canvas is not lined. UV light examination reveals two small areas of retouching to the extreme upper right corner and towards the lower right corner (approx. 1cm and 2cm long respectively) and a few further tiny scattered flecks of retouching. There is a tiny paint loss (2mm) to the lower part of the extreme left edge, away from the signature, and a further pin-sized paint loss to the flower pot. There are some fine lines of paint shrinkage to the left part of the composition. 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."

In December 1941 Gabriele Münter wrote in her diary: ‘Still life is [like] the piano – landscape is the orchestra’ (quoted in Gabriele Münter, The Years of Expressionism 1903-1920 (exhibition catalogue), Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, 1998-99, p. 127).

Fuchsie vor Mondlandschaft brings together these two of her favourite subject matters, combining the Fuchsia on the windowsill with a wonderful panoramic depiction of the Thuringian countryside. Münter skilfully utilises the window frame to organize the composition into foreground and background. Colour accents set off the blossoming plant against the rich greens and blues of the hilly background.

The present work was inspired by the view from Burg Lauenstein in Germany, where Gabriele Münter spent the summer of 1926. In its simplicity, suggestive symbolism, smooth finish and detailed representation, Fuchsie vor Mondlandschaft is strongly connected to the style of the Neue Sachlichkeit. The present work is one of a few finished still lifes from the 1920s and in its depiction of the local landscape it is reminiscent of Münter’s time in Murnau where the vastness and depth of the landscape and the Alpine peaks greatly inspired her œuvre.