Lot 3247 - A209 Impressionist & Modern Art - Friday, 21. June 2024, 05.00 PM
GABRIELE MÜNTER
(Berlin 1877–1962 Murnau)
House by a lake with blue mountains. 1933–35.
Oil on board.
With estate stamp verso.
38 × 40 cm.
Provenance:
- Bühler Collection, Landhaus Waldbühl, Uzwil, acquired on 16.11.1971 from the above gallery.
The work is registered in the artist's estate under number 606 (labelled verso).
"[...] nowhere had I seen such a wealth of views combined as here [...], between lake and high mountains, between hilly land and moss"
(Isabelle Jansen, Matthias Mühling (ed.): Gabriele Münter 1877–1962. Malen ohne Umschweife. Prestel, Munich 2017.)
In their search for a suitable place to settle, Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky discovered the picturesque Murnau on Lake Staffelsee in 1908. For Münter, the enchanting town around the "Blue Lake" with the surrounding mountains and the fertile moor had a magical appeal. Her painting style underwent a radical change there. She says goodbye to the impressionistic style of previous years and delves deeper into surfaces, lines and colors, thereby finding her own expressionism. In 1909 Münter purchased a house in Murnau. Today known as the "Münter Haus", it was then called the "Russian House" because, in addition to Münter, Kandinsky, Jawlensky and Werefkin were frequently there. This four-person artist community is nourished by lively exchange and through mutual support and inspiration. Months of productive work begin and the environment develops into Münter's favorite motif, which she returns to again and again throughout her career. In these rural surroundings, Münter also discovered Bohemian and Bavarian reverse glass painting, its simple shapes and black lines providing important inspiration for her creative path forward.
Even after separating from Kandinsky, she repeatedly returned to Murnau, where she finally settled down in 1931 with her new partner Johannes Eichner. From the surrounding hills, she repeatedly paints the multifaceted landscape, which shows different color nuances depending on the time of day and the weather. "House by the Lake with Blue Mountains" is a wonderful example of these sophisticated depictions of the landscape around Lake Staffelsee. From an elevation, she captures the area enveloped in an afterglow by depicting the image's elements through clearly demarcated color areas. This reduction and choice of colors makes the landscape appear particularly sophisticated and atmospheric.
"[...] nowhere had I seen such a wealth of views combined as here [...], between lake and high mountains, between hilly land and moss"
(Isabelle Jansen, Matthias Mühling (ed.): Gabriele Münter 1877–1962. Malen ohne Umschweife. Prestel, Munich 2017.)
In their search for a suitable place to settle, Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky discovered the picturesque Murnau on Lake Staffelsee in 1908. For Münter, the enchanting town around the "Blue Lake" with the surrounding mountains and the fertile moor had a magical appeal. Her painting style underwent a radical change there. She says goodbye to the impressionistic style of previous years and delves deeper into surfaces, lines and colors, thereby finding her own expressionism. In 1909 Münter purchased a house in Murnau. Today known as the "Münter Haus", it was then called the "Russian House" because, in addition to Münter, Kandinsky, Jawlensky and Werefkin were frequently there. This four-person artist community is nourished by lively exchange and through mutual support and inspiration. Months of productive work begin and the environment develops into Münter's favorite motif, which she returns to again and again throughout her career. In these rural surroundings, Münter also discovered Bohemian and Bavarian reverse glass painting, its simple shapes and black lines providing important inspiration for her creative path forward.
Even after separating from Kandinsky, she repeatedly returned to Murnau, where she finally settled down in 1931 with her new partner Johannes Eichner. From the surrounding hills, she repeatedly paints the multifaceted landscape, which shows different color nuances depending on the time of day and the weather. "House by the Lake with Blue Mountains" is a wonderful example of these sophisticated depictions of the landscape around Lake Staffelsee. From an elevation, she captures the area enveloped in an afterglow by depicting the image's elements through clearly demarcated color areas. This reduction and choice of colors makes the landscape appear particularly sophisticated and atmospheric.
CHF 120 000 / 200 000 | (€ 123 710 / 206 190)
Sold for CHF 250 000 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.