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Lot Essay
Professor Dr Siegfried Gohr has confirmed the authenticity of this work and will include it in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné on works on paper by Max Beckmann, Werkverzeichnis der fabrigen Arbeiten auf Papier
The father of Margarethe was an extremely important figure in Beckmann's career. Professor Fritz Wichert (1878-1951) was Director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim and a great supporter of Beckmann as he began his career. As early as 1919, seeing the man's talent, and encouraged by his friend Gustav Hartlaub who had also visited Beckmann's studio in 1917, Wichert convinced the Kunsthalle to purchase the magnificent early religious oil Christ and the Woman taken into Adultery (G.197: fig 2). Between 1924 and 1933 Wichert took over as the Director of the Städelsches Kunstinstitut and became ever closer to Beckmann.
On 15 November 1927, Beckmann began a major portrait of Fritz Wichert which for unrecorded reasons he destroyed at the outbreak of war in 1938. There exist studies for this lost portrait in the Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe (fig. 3) and the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag.
Three years later in 1930, Beckmann executed a fine haunting drawing of Wichert's daughter, Margarete (gifted to the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart). In the same year he executed this very full pastel portrait of his great friend's daughter. Such complete and fine pastels from the late 20s and early 30s are extremely rare.
The father of Margarethe was an extremely important figure in Beckmann's career. Professor Fritz Wichert (1878-1951) was Director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim and a great supporter of Beckmann as he began his career. As early as 1919, seeing the man's talent, and encouraged by his friend Gustav Hartlaub who had also visited Beckmann's studio in 1917, Wichert convinced the Kunsthalle to purchase the magnificent early religious oil Christ and the Woman taken into Adultery (G.197: fig 2). Between 1924 and 1933 Wichert took over as the Director of the Städelsches Kunstinstitut and became ever closer to Beckmann.
On 15 November 1927, Beckmann began a major portrait of Fritz Wichert which for unrecorded reasons he destroyed at the outbreak of war in 1938. There exist studies for this lost portrait in the Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe (fig. 3) and the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag.
Three years later in 1930, Beckmann executed a fine haunting drawing of Wichert's daughter, Margarete (gifted to the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart). In the same year he executed this very full pastel portrait of his great friend's daughter. Such complete and fine pastels from the late 20s and early 30s are extremely rare.