庫特·史維特茲

Edith Thomas, London (by descent from the artist in 1948)
Sidney Janis Gallery, New York (acquired by 1959)
G. David Thompson, Pittsburgh (acquired by 1959)
Galerie Beyeler, Basel (until 1959)
Riccardo & Magda Jucker, Milan (acquired in 1959)
Ruth Kornfeld, Zurich (acquired from the above)
Acquired from the above by the late owner in 1989

Genoa, Palazzo Reale & Palazzo dell'Accademia, Immagine per la città, 1972, no. I/62

Tilman Osterwold, Pop Art, Cologne, 1989, illustrated in colour p. 136
Karin Orchard & Isabel Schulz, Kurt Schwitters, Catalogue raisonné, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2006, vol. 3, no. 3578, illustrated p. 638

The artist's original mount is hinged to a card overmount. Apart from some time-staining to the artist's mount, this work is in very good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration.
"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."

‘It needs a poet like Schwitters to show us that unobserved elements of beauty are strewn and spread all around us and we can find them everywhere, in the portentous as well as in the insignificant, if only we care to look, to choose and to fit them into a comely order.’ (Naum Gabo, quoted in Schwitters in Britain (exhibition catalogue), Tate Britain, London, 2013, p. 17).

Black Nburgh is particularly striking for its sharp juxtapositions of textures and materials. The thick black card stands out in relief from the scraps of what appear to be book illustrations, stamps and newspaper cuttings, creating a complex and layered surface. The title of the work, derived from a shred of text, hints that it was perhaps inspired by a visit to Edinburgh, with the Greek key pattern on the same scrap subtly alluding to the Neo-Classical architecture for which the city is famed. In this, as in all of his collages, Schwitters follows the Dada tradition of elevating everyday materials, including discarded pieces of paper, to high art, celebrating them for their intrinsic rather than percieved value. Ironically, Schwitters had great difficulty selling his collages at the time, with portraits and landscapes for the tourist market proving more profitable.

After his sojourn in Norway, in 1940 Schwitters eventually moved to Britain where he was first interred on Isle of Man with other German artists and intellectuals as an enemy alien. Never one to neglect his art even for a moment, he made sculptures from stale bread and porridge while in the camp. Once released, he passed the remaining years of the war in London, often painting portraits to earn his keep. It was here that he met Edith Thomas, whom he nicknamed 'Wantee' for her British sense of hospitality, always offering him tea. Edith, who was twenty-seven years his junior, remained the artist's companion until his death. On the proceeds of the sale of Schwitters' stamp collection, the two travelled to the Lake District, where they eventually settled near Ambleside. Throughout these final three years of his life Schwitters remained extremely productive, creating a third and final Merzbau in the secluded Langdale Valley of the Lake District which remains to this day.