Lot Essay
Having heard Hitler's vehement speech against modern art, marking the inauguration of the Haus der Kunst, Munich, Beckmann and his wife Quappi left Germany for Amsterdam on 19 July 1937. Beckmann eventually found himself a studio at Rokin 85 and remained there, trapped for most of the time by the War, until 1947. However, "despite considerable privations and some dangers, especially during the last months of the German occupation, these were amongst his most productive years, accounting for one third of his total output of paintings" (P. Vergo, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection of Twentieth Century Painting, London, 1992, p. 38).
At this time, Stephen Lackner, a prominent champion of Beckmann's work, did everything he could to promote the artist's reputation abroad. He was involved in the exhibition Twentieth Century German Art, shown at the New Burlington Galleries in London in 1938, which brought together paintings by artists who had been banned in Germany, including Beckmann, Liebermann, Corinth, Feininger, Klee, Schmidt-Rottluff and Kirchner.
According to Göpel (op. cit.), the lampshade of the white porcelain elephant lamp was painted by the artist's second wife, Quappi. The same lamp also appears in a drawing which was used for the cover of an exhibition catalogue at the Buchholz Gallery, New York, in April 1946.
At this time, Stephen Lackner, a prominent champion of Beckmann's work, did everything he could to promote the artist's reputation abroad. He was involved in the exhibition Twentieth Century German Art, shown at the New Burlington Galleries in London in 1938, which brought together paintings by artists who had been banned in Germany, including Beckmann, Liebermann, Corinth, Feininger, Klee, Schmidt-Rottluff and Kirchner.
According to Göpel (op. cit.), the lampshade of the white porcelain elephant lamp was painted by the artist's second wife, Quappi. The same lamp also appears in a drawing which was used for the cover of an exhibition catalogue at the Buchholz Gallery, New York, in April 1946.