What Art Period Did the Lion Tamer by Max Beckmann Come From?

I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to read an advance proof copy of Susan Ronald's forthcoming book,Hitler's Art Thief: Hildebrand Gurlitt, the Nazis and the Looting of Europe'due south Treasures. This book is slated to be published adjacent month, on September 22, 2015. Ronald recounts and pieces together the story of Cornelius Gurlitt, a recluse who received a lot of media attending when over a thou works of art were discovered in his Munich apartment in November 2013.¹ Much of Cornelius' drove was inherited from his male parent Hildebrand; the latter was an art dealer during the Nazi era who built his personal collection from the spoliation of museums and Jewish family estates. Susan Ronald'due south book primarily is dedicated to telling the biography of Hildebrand, while simultaneously building upwardly a broader context to explicate the political and socio-cultural situation in Germany during WWI and WWII.

Every bit an art historian, I felt like the latter third of the volume (about the last one hundred pages or so) was particularly interesting to me. This part of the book discusses underhanded ways in which Hildebrand Gurlitt clustered his collection, which included one twisted land of events that enabled Gurlitt to not even pay for any of the paintings he claimed at an auction of the Georges Viau collection in 1942!^twoMore than than anything, though, I wanted to learn more about the stories backside some of the paintings which were stolen. Although Ronald focuses mostly on historical events regarding Hildebrand Gurlitt and his son Cornelius, in that location were snippets of data on paintings that I particularly enjoyed in this volume.

Max Liebermann, "Two Riders on a Beach," 1901.

Ronald mentions Max Liebermann'southTwo Riders on a Beacha few times in her book. This painting had been taken from the David Friedmann collection past Hildebrand Gurlitt. When authorities stormed Cornelius Gurlitt's flat in 2013, they took this painting off of the wall, where it had hung for over iv decades!³ Clearly, the Gurlitt family unit was proud of this purloined piece. Before that indicate, Cornelius' male parent Hildebrand had hung this painting on his living-room wall in Dresden.⁴ The painting was returned to David Friedmann's family unit.Two Riders on a Beach, was the beginning of the Gurlitt hoard to become to auction, was sold by Sotheby'south earlier this twelvemonth in June.

Max Beckmann, "The Panthera leo Tamer." Gouache and pastel on newspaper. Epitome courtesy Wikiart.

Beckmann'sThe Lion Tamer is actually the piece which helped lead authorities closer to Cornelius and his collection. Cornelius put this slice upward for sale at the Lempertz auction firm in 2011. Ronald speculates that Cornelius may have opted to utilize this major auction house in guild to go coin rapidly, perhaps to help pay his sister'due south medical bills for her cancer treatments.⁴ When this painting went on the market, this major German auction firm was contacted past layers who represented the family of Alfred Flechtheim, who had originally owned the painting during the Nazi era. Under pressure from these lawyers, Cornelius (who was the unnamed customer selling the painting) agreed to split the proceeds with the heirs of the Flechtheim family. The Fletchtheim heirs felt that this action helped to at to the lowest degree acknowledge the wrongdoing which took place during the Nazi era, although I wish that they could have received all of the proceeds!⁵

Matisse, "Seated Adult female," "Woman Sitting in Armchair," orThe Seated Woman past an Open Window.

Susan Ronald as well writes a few times well-nigh Matisse'sSeated Adult female. I liked learning near this painting, which originally belonged to the Jewish art dealer David Rosenberg, since I recently wrote about some other Matisse painting that was once owned by David Rosenberg. Unforunately,Seated Woman is yet under controversy: despite the apparent fact that Hildebrand Gurlitt took this painting, there isn't a concrete trail of evidence to pinpoint how Gurlitt came into possession of the painting. However, luckily, it is agreed that the painting did belong to the Rosenbergs. Although it has been appear that the Matisse painting will be returned, information technology is uncertain when the transfer volition actually take place, due to this legal limbo.⁶

I think that Hitler's Fine art Thief is a good book for history buffs and also for those who want a bones introduction to the art looting which took place during the Nazi era. Even equally a seasoned art historian (who has read dozens of books and articles on Nazi annexation), I learned new things likewise! And I'm pleased to announce that, through the generosity of St. Martin's Printing, one lucky winner volition be able to receive a free copy of this volume!

Be among the first to read this new publication by entering this giveaway! I will be randomly selecting i winner (using this site) on September 21, 2015. You can enter your name upwardly to three times. Hither are the ways you tin can enter:

one) Leave a comment on this post!

two) Tweet near the giveaway (exist sure to include my Twitter name: @albertis_window in your tweet, and then I tin can find it).

iii) Write nigh this giveaway on your own weblog or website, and and so include the URL in a comment on this post.

Cheers to St. Martin'due south Printing for generously providing an accelerate review copy and giveaway copy ofHitler's Art Thief.

1 Cornelius Gurlitt, who died in May 2014, ancestral his drove to the Bern Art Museum in Switzerland. This action prompted outcry from Jewish groups, and the Bern museum is working to ensure that no looted fine art appears on Swiss soil.

ii Susan Ronald,Hitler's Art Thief: Hildebrand Gurlitt, the Nazis and the Looting of Europe's Treasures (New York: St. Martin'southward Press, 2015), 226-229.

three Ibid., 315.

iv Ibid., 313.

5 Ibid., 312.

6 Ibid., 319.

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Source: http://albertis-window.com/2015/08/book-review-and-giveaway-hitlers-art-thief/

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