Lot Essay
Kegelspiel in metaphysischer Landschaft I belongs to the seminal group of Metaphysische Landschaften Baumeister executed in the years immediately after the War. They reflect Baumeister's new lease of life and feeling of post-war optimism.
The most successful of the Kegelspiele were painted between 1945 and 1946: the paint is thick, often dryly applied and heavily worked with the comb. Whilst the majority of these works are small, the present painting is one of three Kegelspiele Baumeister painted on the large format.
The figures of the present painting relate so closely to Jour heureux which Baumeister gave to the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris that the present work can be considered a pendant piece to this celebrated painting. To support this view, Dieter Ponert relates both of these paintings to an extremely comparable drawing entitled Kegelspiel of 1947 (P. 1609, illustrated p. 574).
Kegelspiel in metaphysischer Landschaft I has remained in the same family since it was purchased from the artist by the father of the present owner in 1947.
The most successful of the Kegelspiele were painted between 1945 and 1946: the paint is thick, often dryly applied and heavily worked with the comb. Whilst the majority of these works are small, the present painting is one of three Kegelspiele Baumeister painted on the large format.
The figures of the present painting relate so closely to Jour heureux which Baumeister gave to the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris that the present work can be considered a pendant piece to this celebrated painting. To support this view, Dieter Ponert relates both of these paintings to an extremely comparable drawing entitled Kegelspiel of 1947 (P. 1609, illustrated p. 574).
Kegelspiel in metaphysischer Landschaft I has remained in the same family since it was purchased from the artist by the father of the present owner in 1947.