Max Pechstein

Private Collection, Berlin (acquired directly from the artist)
Sale: Villa Grisebach, Berlin, 28th November 2008, lot 35
Private Collection, Germany
Sale: Villa Grisebach, Berlin, 29th November 2012, lot 15
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Aya Soika, Max Pechstein: Das Werkverzeichnis der Ölgemälde, Munich, 2011, vol. II, no. 1931/1, illustrated in colour p. 429

The canvas is not lined. Examination under UV light reveals spots of retouching to the artist's pin holes along the right and left edges as well as some spots and lines of retouching associated with historic frame rubbing. There is a further fine horizontal line of retouching (approximately 7 cm. long) to the left-most leaf. There is some minor paint loss associated with the very thickest pigments to the lower left sunflower, the left edge of the centre leaf and the petals of the upper sunflower. There are further minor areas of pigment loss across the pale blue background towards the upper edge. 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."

Max Pechstein belonged to a collective of artists named Die Brücke, established in 1905 as an exclusive group of young painters and print-makers whose purpose it was to throw off the creative shackles of traditional intellectualised German art and embrace the avant-garde. Promotion for their first exhibition in 1906 included a woodcut leaflet by Kirchner which was inscribed with their ideals: ‘With faith in evolution, in a new generation of creators and connoisseurs, we call together all youth. And as youths, who embody the future, we want to free our lives and limbs from the long-established older powers. Anyone who renders his creative drive directly and genuinely is one of us’.

Die Brücke is typically considered the ‘fountainhead’ of German Expressionism. Their art sought to bridge a vital gap between past and present (hence the title ‘die brücke’, meaning ‘the bridge’). They reached back to pre-academic forms of art for inspiration, including prints and wooden sculptures, and looked to render emotion in their compositions. As such, the art is characterised by a simplified approach to form and an expressive style of execution including bold and bright colours.  

Max Pechstein joined Die Brücke shortly after its inception, and is considered central to the group’s profile and achievements; financially, Pechstein was the most successful of the artists during Die Brücke’s eight-year tenure. In 1907, Pechstein spent nine months in Paris, and there was particularly struck by the art of Vincent van Gogh. Among the most famous of van Gogh’s paintings, are his compositions of Sunflowers, of which he painted a series between 1888 and 1889. When the Dutch artist was invited to exhibit in Brussels in 1890 alongside a small selection of avant-garde artists, his brother Theo insisted that he chose one from his Sunflowers series, finding them particularly enchanting: ‘I’ve put one of the Sunflowers on the mantelpiece in our dining room. It has the effect of a piece of fabric embroidered with satin and gold, it’s magnificent’ (Theo van Gogh in a letter to Vincent van Gogh, 16^th July 1889).

However, van Gogh’s Sunflowers weren’t considered special by wider society; fellow artist Henry de Groux threatened to remove his own work from the 1890 exhibition rather than exhibit alongside ‘the laughable pot of sunflowers by Mr Vincent’. Sadly, it was van Gogh’s fate not ever to know how celebrated his works would be one day. Max’s Pechstein’s Sonnenblumen pays homage to the once ridiculed, later lauded, Sunflower works by Vincent van Gogh. The vibrant colours and simplified forms of the present work perfectly complement the ideals of Die Brücke and demonstrate the German artist’s commitment to the avant-garde, through recognising and celebrating the works of those before him who so boldly paved the way.