3231
ERICH HECKEL
Description
ERICH HECKEL
(Döbeln 1883–1970 Radolfzell)
Frau am Tisch (Siddi Heckel). 1914.
Oil on canvas.
Signed lower right: Heckel.
64 × 38.5 cm.
We would like to thank Christina Feilchenfeldt for her kind help and the academic assistance.
Provenance:
- Alfred Hess collection, Erfurt, acquired directly from the artist
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 by descent from the above.
- Peter Herkenrath, Cologne.
- Auction Lempertz, Cologne, 17 May 1974, lot 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, acquired at the above auction.
- Swiss private collection, acquired from the above gallery on 24 June 1974 and since then owned by the same family.
The painting ‘Frau am Tisch’ was created in 1914. It portrays Siddi Heckel, Erich Heckel's girlfriend at the time and favourite model. The couple married in 1915, and a long and happy marriage ensued. This extraordinarily expressive painting embodying the aesthetic aims of the German Expressionist movement comes from one of the artist’s best periods — shortly after the Die Brücke group disbanded, during a time of political tension and probably only a few weeks before the outbreak of the World War I. During that time, Siddi was confined to bed for a few weeks due to a serious illness. According to Hüneke’s catalogue raisonné, the approximately 35 oil paintings that Heckel painted in 1914 are predominantly comprised of landscapes, with or without figures, as well as a few portraits. As can also be seen in ‘Frau am Tisch’, the depicted are not portrayed in an emotional manner or full of vitality, instead they are accompanied by a sense of inner melancholy, focused and reflective upon one’s own existence. They are a mirror of Heckel's emotional world. At the same time, Heckel remained true to his characteristic, sharply angular, dynamic Expressionist style. For nearly 40 years, ‘Frau am Tisch’ was considered to be lost until it appeared at an auction in Germany in the mid-1970s. Through intensive research and with the competent help of Christina Feilchenfeldt, Koller has been able to reconstruct the highly interesting history of the painting and fill in the relevant gaps. The present painting was originally part of the collection of Alfred Hess from Erfurt, Germany. Hess was one of the most important art patrons of his time. With passion and a keen sense for the contemporary avant-garde, he built up one of the most significant collections of German Expressionist art, collecting works by Kirchner, Franz Marc, Feiniger, Macke, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein and Otto Mueller, amongst others, until his death in 1931. In addition to professional support from Hess, Erich Heckel and Alfred Hess must have also formed a personal friendship, as Heckel portrayed him several times. His collection contained ten oil paintings by Heckel, including the present portrait ‘Frau am Tisch’, which Hess probably acquired directly from the artist. After the death of Alfred Hess, the art collection passed to his son Hans Hess. He emigrated to France in the spring of 1933 and later to England. The collection remained in the care of his mother Tekla Hess. Hoping to protect the works of art in Switzerland from Nazi seizure and if an opportunity arose, to also find buyers for the works of art, Tekla Hess sent around 100 works to Basel on a ‘free pass’ (temporary export license) in the summer of 1933. The paintings, including ‘Frau am Tisch’, were presented in the exhibition ‘Moderne deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz’ in the Kunsthalle Basel in October. One year later the portrait was shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remained for the time being after the exhibition, together with the other works from the collection. Despite the increasing repression against all Jews in Germany, Tekla Hess asked the then-director of the Kunsthaus Zürich to send the works in their possession back to Germany. After the war, Tekla Hess stated in an affidavit that the Gestapo had demanded that the pictures of the collection that were still in Switzerland be returned to Germany. Seventy works of art were transported to the Kölnischer Kunstverein in March of 1937, including our work by Erich Heckel. The then-director of the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Walter Klug, promised Mrs. Hess safekeeping of the pictures free of charge, and subsequently also offered them for sale. It was through this process that, amongst others, the important painting ‘Berliner Strassenszene’ by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, which had also been sent to Basel and Zurich and then ordered back to Germany, was sold by the Kölnischer Kunstverein to the collector Carl Hagemann. Tekla Hess, who along with her husband was also of Jewish descent, was forced to flee from the Nazi regime and emigrated to England in 1939, where her son was already situated. She had been able to send a part of the collection, primarily works on paper as well as some paintings, to her son before her emigration to England. Another part of the collection remained at the Kölnischer Kunstverein. The caretaker of the Kunstverein, Joseph Jenniches, had built a large wooden crate for the storage of the pictures and placed it in the cellar of the Kunstverein. This crate also contained the portrait of Siddi Heckel. During an air raid on 29 July 1943, the Kölnischer Kunstverein burned down to the cellar. The artworks and objects in the basement were brought to safety in a transport vehicle the next day. Due to a lack of space, or so it was later called, the crate with the pictures from the Hess Collection was left behind and then forgotten. When Tekla Hess tried after the war to find out about the whereabouts of the stored pictures, she was informed that the pictures were burned and no longer available. What exactly had happened to the painting ‘Frau am Tisch’ cannot be fully clarified to this day. When Jenniches returned from war captivity in 1945, he discovered the cellar partly under water, with the Hess crate broken open. It is known that Jenniches had stolen and sold individual works from the crate before the war, for which he had been charged and convicted in 1950. The portrait of Siddi then found its way to the painter Peter Herkenrath. As a witness in the court case, he admitted that he had acquired from Jenniches two of his four pictures from the Hess collection, but he did not mention ‘Frau am Tisch’ in that case. It is also known that Herkenrath had himself been to the cellar at the Kölnischer Kunstverein and had taken a Heckel painting from the Hess crate. However, it cannot be proven whether it was the present work.
The painting was originally 80 x 70 cm, depicting a table and slightly more background. The catalogue raisonné of the paintings by Erich Heckel compiled by Paul Vogt in 1965 already named Herkenrath as owner of the work, as well as the fact that due to its war damage the work had already been cut down by that time, with the collaboration of Erich Heckel, who also re-signed it. The current owners acquired the painting on 24 June 1974 at Art Basel from the art dealer Detlev Rosenbach, who had purchased the work shortly before at a Lempertz auction. Due to the findings of the provenance research on the present work, the current owner family contacted the heirs of Alfred Hess, with whom an agreement within the framework of a fair and just solution in adherence to the Washington Principles has been concluded, allowing us to auction the painting on 2 July 2021.
Exhibited:
- Basel 1933, Moderne Deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz, Kunsthalle Basel, 7–29 October 1933, no. 17.
- Zurich 1934, Neue Deutsche Malerei, Kunsthaus Zürich, sales exhibition, 21 June–15 July 1934, no. 47.
ERICH HECKEL
(Döbeln 1883–1970 Radolfzell)
Frau am Tisch (Siddi Heckel). 1914.
Öl auf Leinwand.
Unten rechts signiert: Heckel.
64 × 38,5 cm.
Wir bedanken uns bei Christina Feilchenfeldt für die freundliche Hilfe und die wissenschaftliche Unterstützung.
Provenienz:
- Sammlung Alfred Hess, Erfurt, direkt beim Künstler erworben.
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 durch Erbschaft von Obigem erhalten.
- Peter Herkenrath, Köln.
- Auktion Lempertz, Köln, 17. Mai 1974, Los 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, an obiger Auktion erworben.
- Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 24. Juni 1974 in obiger Galerie erworben und seither im gleichen Familienbesitz.
- Sammlung Alfred Hess, Erfurt, direkt beim Künstler erworben.
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 durch Erbschaft von Obigem erhalten.
- Peter Herkenrath, Köln.
- Auktion Lempertz, Köln, 17. Mai 1974, Los 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, an obiger Auktion erworben.
- Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 24. Juni 1974 in obiger Galerie erworben und seither im gleichen Familienbesitz.
Das Gemälde "Frau am Tisch" entsteht 1914. Dargestellt ist Siddi Heckel, die damalige Freundin und liebstes Modell Erich Heckels. 1915 heiratet das Paar und es folgt eine lange und glückliche Ehe. Das ausserordentlich ausdrucksstarke, typisch expressionistische Gemälde stammt aus einer der besten Zeiten des Künstlers - kurz nach der Auflösung der Künstlergruppe "die Brücke", zu einer Zeit der politischen Spannungen und wohl nur einige Wochen vor dem Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs. Gleichzeitig muss Siddi durch eine schwere Erkrankung einige Wochen das Krankenbett hüten. Die ungefähr 35 Ölgemälde, die Heckel laut Hünekes Werkverzeichnis im Jahr 1914 malt, sind vorwiegend Landschaften mit oder ohne Figuren sowie einige wenige Porträts. Wie auch bei "Frau am Tisch" malt der Künstler die Porträtierten nicht bewegt oder voller Lebensfreude, vielmehr werden sie begleitet von einer inneren Melancholie, konzentriert und besonnen auf das eigene Sein. Sie sind ein Spiegel von Heckels Gefühlswelt. Dabei bleibt Heckel stilistisch seinem charakteristisch scharfkantigen, dynamischen Expressionismus treu. "Frau am Tisch" galt knapp 40 Jahre lang als verschollen, bis es Mitte der 1970er Jahre an einer Auktion in Deutschland wieder auftauchte. Durch intensive Recherchen und mit der kompetenten Hilfe von Christina Feilchenfeldt konnte Koller die hoch interessante Geschichte des Gemäldes rekonstruieren und die fraglichen Lücken füllen. Das zur Auktion kommende Gemälde war ursprünglich im Besitz des Erfurter Kunstsammlers Alfred Hess. Hess war einer der bedeutendsten Kunstmäzenen seiner Zeit. Mit Leidenschaft und grossem Gespür für die zeitgenössische Avantgarde baute er bis zu seinem Tod 1931 eine der wichtigsten Sammlungen Deutscher Expressionistischer Kunst auf, die Werke von Kirchner, Franz Marc, Feininger, Macke, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Otto Mueller etc. enthielt. Erich Heckel und Alfred Hess muss neben der beruflichen Unterstützung seitens Hess auch eine persönliche Freundschaft verbunden haben, hat Heckel ihn doch mehrfach porträtiert. Seine Sammlung beinhaltete 10 Ölgemälde von Heckel, darunter auch das vorliegende Porträt "Frau am Tisch", welches Hess wohl direkt bei Heckel erworben hatte. Nach dem Tod von Alfred Hess ging die Kunstsammlung an seinen Sohn Hans Hess über. Dieser emigrierte im Frühjahr 1933 zunächst nach Frankreich und später weiter nach England. Die Sammlung blieb in der Obhut seiner Mutter Tekla Hess. In der Hoffnung, die Kunstwerke in der Schweiz vor dem Zugriff der Nationalsozialisten zu schützen und bei Gelegenheit auch Käufer für die Kunstwerke zu finden, versendete Tekla Hess im Sommer des Jahres 1933 rund 100 Kunstwerke auf Freipass nach Basel. Die Gemälde, darunter auch "Frau am Tisch", wurden in der Ausstellung "Moderne deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz" im Oktober in der Kunsthalle Basel präsentiert. Ein Jahr später wurde das Porträt im Kunsthaus Zürich gezeigt, wo es nach der Ausstellung zusammen mit den anderen Werken der Sammlung zunächst verblieb. Trotz der immer stärker werdenden Repressionen gegenüber allen Juden in Deutschland, bat Tekla Hess den damaligen Direktor des Züricher Kunsthauses um Rücksendungen der Werke aus ihrem Besitz nach Deutschland. Nach dem Krieg bekundete Tekla Hess an Eides statt, dass die Gestapo sie aufgefordert hatte, die noch in der Schweiz befindlichen Bilder der Sammlung nach Deutschland zurückzuholen. Im März 1937 wurde ein Transport von 70 Kunstwerken an den Kölnischen Kunstverein getätigt, darunter befand sich auch unser Werk von Erich Heckel. Der damalige Direktor des Kölnischen Kunstvereins, Herr Walter Klug, hatte Frau Hess eine kostenlose Aufbewahrung der Bilder in Aussicht gestellt und bot diese im Folgenden auch zum Verkauf an. Auf diesem Weg wurde unter anderem das bedeutende Gemälde "Berliner Strassenszene" von Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, das ebenfalls nach Basel und Zürich versandt und dann wieder nach Deutschland zurückbeordert worden war, vom Kölnischen Kunstverein an den Sammler Carl Hagemann verkauft. Tekla Hess, die wie Ihr Mann jüdischer Abstammung war, sah sich gezwungen, vor dem Nationalsozialistischen Regime zu fliehen und emigrierte 1939 nach England, wo sich ihr Sohn bereits befand. Einen Teil der Sammlung, vor allem Arbeiten auf Papier aber auch einige Gemälde, hatte sie noch vor ihrer Emigration zu ihrem Sohn nach England senden können. Ein anderer Teil der Sammlung blieb im Kölnischen Kunstverein zurück. Der Hausmeister des Kunstvereins, Joseph Jenniches, hatte für die Lagerung der Bilder eine grosse Holzkiste gezimmert und diese im Keller des Kunstvereins untergestellt. In dieser Kiste befand sich auch das Porträt von Siddi Heckel. Durch einen Bombenangriff am 29. Juli 1943 brannte der Kölnische Kunstverein bis auf den Keller nieder. Die sich im Keller befindenden Kunstwerke und Gegenstände wurden einen Tag später mit einem Transporter in Sicherheit gebracht. Aufgrund Platzmangels, wie es später hieß, wurde die Kiste mit den Bildern der Sammlung Hess zurückgelassen und ging dann vergessen. Als sich Tekla Hess nach dem Krieg bemühte, etwas über den Verbleib der eingelagerten Bilder zu erfahren, wurde ihr mitgeteilt, dass die Bilder verbrannt und nicht mehr vorhanden seien. Was genau mit dem Gemälde "Frau am Tisch" geschehen war , konnte bis heute nicht vollständig aufgeklärt werden. Als Jenniches 1945 aus der Kriegsgefangenschaft zurückkehrte, fand er den teils unter Wasser stehenden Keller vor und darin die aufgebrochene Hess-Kiste . Es ist bekannt, dass Jenniches bereits vor dem Krieg einzelne Werke aus der Kiste entwendet und veräussert hatte, wofür er 1950 auch angeklagt und verurteilt worden war. Das Porträt von Siddi gelangte danach an den Kunstmaler Peter Herkenrath. Dieser hatte im Gerichtsprozess als Zeuge zugegeben, zwei seiner vier Bilder aus der Hess-Sammlung von Jenniches erworben zu haben, "Frau am Tisch" erwähnte er in diesem Fall aber nicht. Bekannt ist, dass Herkenrath selber im Kellner des Kölnischen Kunstvereins gewesen war und sich ein Gemälde von Heckel aus der Hess-Kiste genommen hatte. Ob es sich dabei um dieses Werk gehandelt hatte, ist aber nicht beweisbar. Das Gemälde hatte ursprünglich die Masse 80 × 70 cm, zeigte einen Tisch und etwas mehr Hintergrund. In dem von Paul Vogt erstellten Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde von Erich Heckel aus dem Jahr 1965 wird Herkenrath als Besitzer des Werks genannt sowie die Tatsache, dass das Werk zu diesem Zeitpunkt aufgrund seines Kriegsschadens unter Mitwirkung von Erich Heckel bereits beschnitten und auch von ihm erneut signiert worden war. Die heutigen Besitzer haben das Gemälde am 24. Juni 1974 an der Art Basel beim Kunsthändler Detlev Rosenbach erworben, der es seinerseits kurz zuvor bei Lempertz ersteigert hatte. Aufgrund der Rechercheergebnisse zur Provenienz des vorliegenden Werkes hat die heutige Besitzerfamilie Kontakt mit den Erben nach Alfred Hess aufgenommen und mit diesen eine Vereinbarung im Rahmen einer fairen und gerechten Lösung in Anlehnung an die Washington Priniciples geschlossen, welche es uns ermöglicht, das Gemälde am 2. Juli 2021 zu versteigern.
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ERICH HECKEL
(Döbeln 1883–1970 Radolfzell)
Frau am Tisch (Siddi Heckel). 1914.
Oil on canvas.
Signed lower right: Heckel.
64 × 38.5 cm.
We would like to thank Christina Feilchenfeldt for her kind help and the academic assistance.
Provenance:
- Alfred Hess collection, Erfurt, acquired directly from the artist
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 by descent from the above.
- Peter Herkenrath, Cologne.
- Auction Lempertz, Cologne, 17 May 1974, lot 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, acquired at the above auction.
- Swiss private collection, acquired from the above gallery on 24 June 1974 and since then owned by the same family.
The painting ‘Frau am Tisch’ was created in 1914. It portrays Siddi Heckel, Erich Heckel's girlfriend at the time and favourite model. The couple married in 1915, and a long and happy marriage ensued. This extraordinarily expressive painting embodying the aesthetic aims of the German Expressionist movement comes from one of the artist’s best periods — shortly after the Die Brücke group disbanded, during a time of political tension and probably only a few weeks before the outbreak of the World War I. During that time, Siddi was confined to bed for a few weeks due to a serious illness. According to Hüneke’s catalogue raisonné, the approximately 35 oil paintings that Heckel painted in 1914 are predominantly comprised of landscapes, with or without figures, as well as a few portraits. As can also be seen in ‘Frau am Tisch’, the depicted are not portrayed in an emotional manner or full of vitality, instead they are accompanied by a sense of inner melancholy, focused and reflective upon one’s own existence. They are a mirror of Heckel's emotional world. At the same time, Heckel remained true to his characteristic, sharply angular, dynamic Expressionist style. For nearly 40 years, ‘Frau am Tisch’ was considered to be lost until it appeared at an auction in Germany in the mid-1970s. Through intensive research and with the competent help of Christina Feilchenfeldt, Koller has been able to reconstruct the highly interesting history of the painting and fill in the relevant gaps. The present painting was originally part of the collection of Alfred Hess from Erfurt, Germany. Hess was one of the most important art patrons of his time. With passion and a keen sense for the contemporary avant-garde, he built up one of the most significant collections of German Expressionist art, collecting works by Kirchner, Franz Marc, Feiniger, Macke, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein and Otto Mueller, amongst others, until his death in 1931. In addition to professional support from Hess, Erich Heckel and Alfred Hess must have also formed a personal friendship, as Heckel portrayed him several times. His collection contained ten oil paintings by Heckel, including the present portrait ‘Frau am Tisch’, which Hess probably acquired directly from the artist. After the death of Alfred Hess, the art collection passed to his son Hans Hess. He emigrated to France in the spring of 1933 and later to England. The collection remained in the care of his mother Tekla Hess. Hoping to protect the works of art in Switzerland from Nazi seizure and if an opportunity arose, to also find buyers for the works of art, Tekla Hess sent around 100 works to Basel on a ‘free pass’ (temporary export license) in the summer of 1933. The paintings, including ‘Frau am Tisch’, were presented in the exhibition ‘Moderne deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz’ in the Kunsthalle Basel in October. One year later the portrait was shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remained for the time being after the exhibition, together with the other works from the collection. Despite the increasing repression against all Jews in Germany, Tekla Hess asked the then-director of the Kunsthaus Zürich to send the works in their possession back to Germany. After the war, Tekla Hess stated in an affidavit that the Gestapo had demanded that the pictures of the collection that were still in Switzerland be returned to Germany. Seventy works of art were transported to the Kölnischer Kunstverein in March of 1937, including our work by Erich Heckel. The then-director of the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Walter Klug, promised Mrs. Hess safekeeping of the pictures free of charge, and subsequently also offered them for sale. It was through this process that, amongst others, the important painting ‘Berliner Strassenszene’ by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, which had also been sent to Basel and Zurich and then ordered back to Germany, was sold by the Kölnischer Kunstverein to the collector Carl Hagemann. Tekla Hess, who along with her husband was also of Jewish descent, was forced to flee from the Nazi regime and emigrated to England in 1939, where her son was already situated. She had been able to send a part of the collection, primarily works on paper as well as some paintings, to her son before her emigration to England. Another part of the collection remained at the Kölnischer Kunstverein. The caretaker of the Kunstverein, Joseph Jenniches, had built a large wooden crate for the storage of the pictures and placed it in the cellar of the Kunstverein. This crate also contained the portrait of Siddi Heckel. During an air raid on 29 July 1943, the Kölnischer Kunstverein burned down to the cellar. The artworks and objects in the basement were brought to safety in a transport vehicle the next day. Due to a lack of space, or so it was later called, the crate with the pictures from the Hess Collection was left behind and then forgotten. When Tekla Hess tried after the war to find out about the whereabouts of the stored pictures, she was informed that the pictures were burned and no longer available. What exactly had happened to the painting ‘Frau am Tisch’ cannot be fully clarified to this day. When Jenniches returned from war captivity in 1945, he discovered the cellar partly under water, with the Hess crate broken open. It is known that Jenniches had stolen and sold individual works from the crate before the war, for which he had been charged and convicted in 1950. The portrait of Siddi then found its way to the painter Peter Herkenrath. As a witness in the court case, he admitted that he had acquired from Jenniches two of his four pictures from the Hess collection, but he did not mention ‘Frau am Tisch’ in that case. It is also known that Herkenrath had himself been to the cellar at the Kölnischer Kunstverein and had taken a Heckel painting from the Hess crate. However, it cannot be proven whether it was the present work.
The painting was originally 80 x 70 cm, depicting a table and slightly more background. The catalogue raisonné of the paintings by Erich Heckel compiled by Paul Vogt in 1965 already named Herkenrath as owner of the work, as well as the fact that due to its war damage the work had already been cut down by that time, with the collaboration of Erich Heckel, who also re-signed it. The current owners acquired the painting on 24 June 1974 at Art Basel from the art dealer Detlev Rosenbach, who had purchased the work shortly before at a Lempertz auction. Due to the findings of the provenance research on the present work, the current owner family contacted the heirs of Alfred Hess, with whom an agreement within the framework of a fair and just solution in adherence to the Washington Principles has been concluded, allowing us to auction the painting on 2 July 2021.
Exhibited:
- Basel 1933, Moderne Deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz, Kunsthalle Basel, 7–29 October 1933, no. 17.
- Zurich 1934, Neue Deutsche Malerei, Kunsthaus Zürich, sales exhibition, 21 June–15 July 1934, no. 47.
ERICH HECKEL
(Döbeln 1883–1970 Radolfzell)
Frau am Tisch (Siddi Heckel). 1914.
Öl auf Leinwand.
Unten rechts signiert: Heckel.
64 × 38,5 cm.
Wir bedanken uns bei Christina Feilchenfeldt für die freundliche Hilfe und die wissenschaftliche Unterstützung.
Provenienz:
- Sammlung Alfred Hess, Erfurt, direkt beim Künstler erworben.
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 durch Erbschaft von Obigem erhalten.
- Peter Herkenrath, Köln.
- Auktion Lempertz, Köln, 17. Mai 1974, Los 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, an obiger Auktion erworben.
- Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 24. Juni 1974 in obiger Galerie erworben und seither im gleichen Familienbesitz.
- Sammlung Alfred Hess, Erfurt, direkt beim Künstler erworben.
- Hans Hess, Berlin/Paris/London, 1931 durch Erbschaft von Obigem erhalten.
- Peter Herkenrath, Köln.
- Auktion Lempertz, Köln, 17. Mai 1974, Los 269.
- Galerie Rosenbach, Hannover, an obiger Auktion erworben.
- Schweizer Privatsammlung, am 24. Juni 1974 in obiger Galerie erworben und seither im gleichen Familienbesitz.
Das Gemälde "Frau am Tisch" entsteht 1914. Dargestellt ist Siddi Heckel, die damalige Freundin und liebstes Modell Erich Heckels. 1915 heiratet das Paar und es folgt eine lange und glückliche Ehe. Das ausserordentlich ausdrucksstarke, typisch expressionistische Gemälde stammt aus einer der besten Zeiten des Künstlers - kurz nach der Auflösung der Künstlergruppe "die Brücke", zu einer Zeit der politischen Spannungen und wohl nur einige Wochen vor dem Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs. Gleichzeitig muss Siddi durch eine schwere Erkrankung einige Wochen das Krankenbett hüten. Die ungefähr 35 Ölgemälde, die Heckel laut Hünekes Werkverzeichnis im Jahr 1914 malt, sind vorwiegend Landschaften mit oder ohne Figuren sowie einige wenige Porträts. Wie auch bei "Frau am Tisch" malt der Künstler die Porträtierten nicht bewegt oder voller Lebensfreude, vielmehr werden sie begleitet von einer inneren Melancholie, konzentriert und besonnen auf das eigene Sein. Sie sind ein Spiegel von Heckels Gefühlswelt. Dabei bleibt Heckel stilistisch seinem charakteristisch scharfkantigen, dynamischen Expressionismus treu. "Frau am Tisch" galt knapp 40 Jahre lang als verschollen, bis es Mitte der 1970er Jahre an einer Auktion in Deutschland wieder auftauchte. Durch intensive Recherchen und mit der kompetenten Hilfe von Christina Feilchenfeldt konnte Koller die hoch interessante Geschichte des Gemäldes rekonstruieren und die fraglichen Lücken füllen. Das zur Auktion kommende Gemälde war ursprünglich im Besitz des Erfurter Kunstsammlers Alfred Hess. Hess war einer der bedeutendsten Kunstmäzenen seiner Zeit. Mit Leidenschaft und grossem Gespür für die zeitgenössische Avantgarde baute er bis zu seinem Tod 1931 eine der wichtigsten Sammlungen Deutscher Expressionistischer Kunst auf, die Werke von Kirchner, Franz Marc, Feininger, Macke, Heckel, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Otto Mueller etc. enthielt. Erich Heckel und Alfred Hess muss neben der beruflichen Unterstützung seitens Hess auch eine persönliche Freundschaft verbunden haben, hat Heckel ihn doch mehrfach porträtiert. Seine Sammlung beinhaltete 10 Ölgemälde von Heckel, darunter auch das vorliegende Porträt "Frau am Tisch", welches Hess wohl direkt bei Heckel erworben hatte. Nach dem Tod von Alfred Hess ging die Kunstsammlung an seinen Sohn Hans Hess über. Dieser emigrierte im Frühjahr 1933 zunächst nach Frankreich und später weiter nach England. Die Sammlung blieb in der Obhut seiner Mutter Tekla Hess. In der Hoffnung, die Kunstwerke in der Schweiz vor dem Zugriff der Nationalsozialisten zu schützen und bei Gelegenheit auch Käufer für die Kunstwerke zu finden, versendete Tekla Hess im Sommer des Jahres 1933 rund 100 Kunstwerke auf Freipass nach Basel. Die Gemälde, darunter auch "Frau am Tisch", wurden in der Ausstellung "Moderne deutsche Malerei aus Privatbesitz" im Oktober in der Kunsthalle Basel präsentiert. Ein Jahr später wurde das Porträt im Kunsthaus Zürich gezeigt, wo es nach der Ausstellung zusammen mit den anderen Werken der Sammlung zunächst verblieb. Trotz der immer stärker werdenden Repressionen gegenüber allen Juden in Deutschland, bat Tekla Hess den damaligen Direktor des Züricher Kunsthauses um Rücksendungen der Werke aus ihrem Besitz nach Deutschland. Nach dem Krieg bekundete Tekla Hess an Eides statt, dass die Gestapo sie aufgefordert hatte, die noch in der Schweiz befindlichen Bilder der Sammlung nach Deutschland zurückzuholen. Im März 1937 wurde ein Transport von 70 Kunstwerken an den Kölnischen Kunstverein getätigt, darunter befand sich auch unser Werk von Erich Heckel. Der damalige Direktor des Kölnischen Kunstvereins, Herr Walter Klug, hatte Frau Hess eine kostenlose Aufbewahrung der Bilder in Aussicht gestellt und bot diese im Folgenden auch zum Verkauf an. Auf diesem Weg wurde unter anderem das bedeutende Gemälde "Berliner Strassenszene" von Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, das ebenfalls nach Basel und Zürich versandt und dann wieder nach Deutschland zurückbeordert worden war, vom Kölnischen Kunstverein an den Sammler Carl Hagemann verkauft. Tekla Hess, die wie Ihr Mann jüdischer Abstammung war, sah sich gezwungen, vor dem Nationalsozialistischen Regime zu fliehen und emigrierte 1939 nach England, wo sich ihr Sohn bereits befand. Einen Teil der Sammlung, vor allem Arbeiten auf Papier aber auch einige Gemälde, hatte sie noch vor ihrer Emigration zu ihrem Sohn nach England senden können. Ein anderer Teil der Sammlung blieb im Kölnischen Kunstverein zurück. Der Hausmeister des Kunstvereins, Joseph Jenniches, hatte für die Lagerung der Bilder eine grosse Holzkiste gezimmert und diese im Keller des Kunstvereins untergestellt. In dieser Kiste befand sich auch das Porträt von Siddi Heckel. Durch einen Bombenangriff am 29. Juli 1943 brannte der Kölnische Kunstverein bis auf den Keller nieder. Die sich im Keller befindenden Kunstwerke und Gegenstände wurden einen Tag später mit einem Transporter in Sicherheit gebracht. Aufgrund Platzmangels, wie es später hieß, wurde die Kiste mit den Bildern der Sammlung Hess zurückgelassen und ging dann vergessen. Als sich Tekla Hess nach dem Krieg bemühte, etwas über den Verbleib der eingelagerten Bilder zu erfahren, wurde ihr mitgeteilt, dass die Bilder verbrannt und nicht mehr vorhanden seien. Was genau mit dem Gemälde "Frau am Tisch" geschehen war , konnte bis heute nicht vollständig aufgeklärt werden. Als Jenniches 1945 aus der Kriegsgefangenschaft zurückkehrte, fand er den teils unter Wasser stehenden Keller vor und darin die aufgebrochene Hess-Kiste . Es ist bekannt, dass Jenniches bereits vor dem Krieg einzelne Werke aus der Kiste entwendet und veräussert hatte, wofür er 1950 auch angeklagt und verurteilt worden war. Das Porträt von Siddi gelangte danach an den Kunstmaler Peter Herkenrath. Dieser hatte im Gerichtsprozess als Zeuge zugegeben, zwei seiner vier Bilder aus der Hess-Sammlung von Jenniches erworben zu haben, "Frau am Tisch" erwähnte er in diesem Fall aber nicht. Bekannt ist, dass Herkenrath selber im Kellner des Kölnischen Kunstvereins gewesen war und sich ein Gemälde von Heckel aus der Hess-Kiste genommen hatte. Ob es sich dabei um dieses Werk gehandelt hatte, ist aber nicht beweisbar. Das Gemälde hatte ursprünglich die Masse 80 × 70 cm, zeigte einen Tisch und etwas mehr Hintergrund. In dem von Paul Vogt erstellten Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde von Erich Heckel aus dem Jahr 1965 wird Herkenrath als Besitzer des Werks genannt sowie die Tatsache, dass das Werk zu diesem Zeitpunkt aufgrund seines Kriegsschadens unter Mitwirkung von Erich Heckel bereits beschnitten und auch von ihm erneut signiert worden war. Die heutigen Besitzer haben das Gemälde am 24. Juni 1974 an der Art Basel beim Kunsthändler Detlev Rosenbach erworben, der es seinerseits kurz zuvor bei Lempertz ersteigert hatte. Aufgrund der Rechercheergebnisse zur Provenienz des vorliegenden Werkes hat die heutige Besitzerfamilie Kontakt mit den Erben nach Alfred Hess aufgenommen und mit diesen eine Vereinbarung im Rahmen einer fairen und gerechten Lösung in Anlehnung an die Washington Priniciples geschlossen, welche es uns ermöglicht, das Gemälde am 2. Juli 2021 zu versteigern.
Impressionist & Modern Art (A197)
Sale Date(s)
Please read clause 8 in our auction conditions (in all catalogues or on www.kollerauctions.com) regarding the collection of items.
Important Information
- 25.00 % buyer's premium on the hammer price
- 22.00 % buyer's premium on the amount of the hammer price exceeding 10,000
- 15.00 % buyer's premium on the amount of the hammer price exceeding 400,000
7.7.00 % VAT on buyer's premium
Different tax regulations may apply, if the object is exported to a none-E.U. member country
Terms & Conditions
CONDITIONS KOLLER ZURICH
By participating in the auction the bidder accepts the following Auction Conditions of Koller Auctions Ltd ("Koller").
1. Legal status of the parties
The auction items are auctioned by Koller in the name and on the account of the seller (the "Seller"). The bid in Swiss francs is accepted from the highest bidder (the "Purchaser") recognised by Koller in the course of the auction resulting in the conclusion of a purchase contract between the Seller and the Purchaser.
2. Surcharge
2.1 In addition to the bid price, the Purchaser must pay a surcharge on such bid price calculated as follows:
(i) on a successful bid of up to CHF 10 000: 25 %
(ii) on a successful bid over CHF 10 000 up to CHF 400 000:
25 % on the first CHF 10 000 and 20 % on the difference between CHF 10 000 and the bid.
(iii) on a successful bid over CHF 400 000:
25 % on the first CHF 10 000, 20 % on CHF 390 000 and 15 % on the difference between CHF 400 000 and the bid.
2.2 If the winning bid is placed in the course of an internet live online auction ("Online Auction"), the surcharges are subject to the conditions published on the respective Internet sites.
2.3 The Purchaser must pay Swiss value added tax ("VAT") on the surcharge. The stated percentage of the surcharge relates to the successful bid for each individual item.
2.4 The full tax is charged on all items marked * in the auction catalogue, i.e. VAT is charged on the sum of the bid price plus the surcharge for those items. The VAT will be refunded to Purchasers providing a validly stamped export declaration.
2.5 The Purchaser agrees that Koller also receives a commission from the Seller.
3. Disclaimer
3.1 The items are auctioned in the condition existing at the time of the successful bid.
3.2 The items are described to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, Koller cannot accept any liability for the details provided in the catalogue. The items can be inspected during the preview. The Purchaser is therefore invited to inspect an item prior to the auction and, possibly with the support of an independent specialist advisor, to form its own opinion of the correspondence between the lot and the catalogue description. For the specifications of the items the print edition of the catalogue in the German language (including any later amendments) shall be exclusively applicable. Koller reserves the right to call in experts or specialists of its choice to give an opinion and to rely upon that opinion. Koller cannot be held liable for the correctness of such opinions. Neither any such expert opinions or reports, nor the descriptions of items provided by Koller or other statements pertaining to an item (including statements pertaining to the value thereof) constitute explicit or implicit warranties.
3.3 Subject to Clause 4 below, no guarantee or warranty whatsoever is given in respect of legal and material defects. The liabilities of the Seller vis-à-vis the Purchaser are limited to the same extent as the liabilities of Koller vis-à-vis the Purchaser.
4. Guarantee for forged items
4.1 Koller shall reverse the purchase (subject to Clauses 4.2 and 4.3 below) and shall reimburse the purchase price and the surcharge (incl. VAT) to the Purchaser if the item proves to be a forgery. A “forgery” shall be deemed to exist if the item in the reasonable opinion of Koller is an imitation created with the intention of causing a deception with respect to the originator, age, period, culture or source, where the correct description of such content is not reflected in the auction catalogue (taking account of any additions), and where this circumstance significantly impairs the value of the item in comparison to an item corresponding to the catalogue description. A lot shall not be deemed to have been forged if it is merely damaged and/or has been subjected to restoration work and/or modifications of any nature whatsoever.
4.2 The guarantee given to the Purchaser in accordance with the above provision shall not be applicable at the discretion of Koller if:
(i) the description of the item in the auction catalogue was supported by the view of a specialist or by the prevailing view of specialists, or if the description in the auction catalogue suggested that differences of opinion exist in this respect;
(ii) the forgery was not identifiable as such at the time of the successful bid in accordance with the current state of research and with the generally acknowledged and usual methods, or only with disproportionate effort;
(iii) the forgery (in Koller’s careful view) was produced before 1880; or
(iv) the purchase item is a painting, watercolour, a drawing or sculpture which according to the details set out in the auction catalogue should have been created prior to 1880.
4.3 This guarantee is applicable from the day of the successful bid for a period of two (2) years (three (3) weeks for jewellery). It shall be granted exclusively to the Purchaser and may not be assigned to any third party. Assertion of the guarantee claim shall be conditional upon the Purchaser making a complaint to Koller by registered letter immediately after the discovery of the defect, and returning the purchase item to Koller in the same condition as it was handed over to him and unencumbered by third parties' claims. The Purchaser must provide proof that the item is a forgery. Koller may demand that the Purchaser obtains at his own expense expert opinions from two independent individuals who are recognised experts in the field. However, Koller shall not be bound by any such expert opinion, and reserves the right to obtain additional expert advice at its own expense.
4.4 Koller may at its complete discretion waive the assertion of grounds for exclusion pursuant to the above Clause 4.2 or the fulfilment of preconditions pursuant to the above Clause 4.3.
4.5 The claims of the Purchaser against Koller under Clause 4.1 are limited to the reimbursement of the purchase price and surcharge (incl. VAT) paid by the Purchaser. Further or other claims of the Purchaser against Koller or its employees are excluded under any legal title whatsoever.
5. Participation in the auction
5.1 Any party may participate in an auction as a Purchaser. However, Koller reserves the right at its complete discretion to prevent any person entering its premises or attending or participating in its auctions.
5.2 Purchasers who are not personally known to Koller must register at least 48 hours before the auction, using the form provided for this purpose. A copy of the passport of the Purchaser must be enclosed with registration, signed with legal effect. In the event of every payment default of the Purchaser, Koller shall be entitled to charge the credit card of the Purchaser in accordance with the details provided on the registration form up to the level of the owed sum plus the expenses of the card provider.
5.3 If a Purchaser who is unknown to Koller is planning to bid for items with upper estimated values of more than CHF 15 000, he shall be required to present to Koller in advance a certificate of creditworthiness issued by a bank approved by Koller.
5.4 In the case of bids for items with upper estimated values of more than CHF 30 000, Koller may demand that the Purchaser first remits 20 % of the lower estimated value as security. Following the auction, Koller will offset this sum against its claims and the claims of the Seller, and will reimburse any possible surpluses to the Purchaser without delay.
6. Auction
6.1 Koller may initiate the auctioning of an item below the minimum selling price agreed upon with the Seller. A bid placed at an auction is a binding offer. The bidder shall remain bound by his bid until this is either outbid or rejected by Koller. Double bids shall immediately be called once again; in case of doubt, the auction management shall decide.
6.2 Koller may refuse a bid either without giving reasons or if a Purchaser fails to fulfil the conditions for participation in an auction pursuant to the above Clauses 5.2 to 5.4. Koller may also knock down or withdraw auctioned items without a sale even if this is not apparent to the auction participants.
6.3 Koller reserves the right to combine, separate or omit numbered lots in the catalogue or to offer them out of sequence. Koller reserves the right to sell lots “conditionally” at its sole discretion, in which event the hammer price will be considered as conditional and the highest bidder will remain bound by his bid for 14 days following the auction. The highest bidder will be released from all obligations if he does not receive a statement from Koller within this period declaring the hammer price as final.
6.4 Written bids from potential Purchasers who cannot attend the auction in person are accepted up to 48 hours before the bidding begins.
6.5 Potential Purchasers may bid by telephone if they have given written notice at least 48 hours before the auction starts. Koller does not accept telephone bids for amounts under CHF 500 and Purchasers are requested to leave a written bid or participate in the salesroom.
6.6 Potential Purchasers who intend to place their bids in the course of an Online Auction via the internet may participate in the auction once their registration applications have been approved by Koller. Koller reserves the right to decline registration applications at its discretion.
6.7 Koller refuses all liability for any kind of bids as well as advance notifications of telephone bidding which are not taken into consideration. Telephone bidders and persons giving written instructions are also subject to the provisions of Clause 5 relating to proof of identity and financial soundness. In the case of Purchasers who place bids in the course of an Online Auction via the internet, Clause 5 only applies with regards to financial soundness.
7. Transfer of title
Ownership of an auctioned item shall be transferred to the Purchaser as soon as the purchase price and the surcharge (incl. VAT) have been comprehensively paid and Koller has attributed these payments to the corresponding item.
8. Collection of the auctioned items
8.1 The auctioned items must be collected at the Purchaser's own expense within 7 days from the end of the auction during official opening hours. If time permits, the items may be handed over after each auction session. The handover shall be performed following comprehensive payment of the purchase price as well as the surcharge (incl. VAT) and the attribution of this sum to the auctioned item by Koller. Cheques offered as payment must be confirmed by the drawee bank before the auctioned item is handed over.
8.2 During the aforementioned period Koller shall be liable for loss, theft, damage or destruction of items which have been auctioned and paid for, but only up to the total of the auction price, surcharge and VAT. Koller ceases to have liability after the aforementioned period, and the Purchaser shall be responsible for ensuring adequate insurance cover for the auctioned item. No liability can be assumed for frames and glass. If the auctioned items are not collected within 7 days, Koller will store the works at a company of their choice at the purchaser’s own risk and expense or on their own premises at a daily rate of CHF 10 per object.
8.3 Transport orders may be sent to Koller in writing. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, transport insurance shall be taken out for the sold items at the expense of the Purchaser. Glazed pictures and fragile items shall not be sent by Koller.
9. Payment for the auctioned items
9.1 The invoice for a successful bid for an auctioned item is payable within 7 days from the end of the auction. Irrespective of the Purchaser's instructions, Koller may use any payments by the Purchaser as settlement for any debt owed by the Purchaser to Koller or the Seller and set off any debt which it owes to the Purchaser against its own claims. If the Purchaser defaults on a payment, default interest of 10 % p.a. shall be charged on top of the invoiced sum.
9.2 If the Purchaser does not pay or does not pay promptly, Koller may moreover in its own name and in the Seller's name optionally (i) insist on the fulfilment of the purchase agreement or (ii) without further notice withdraw from the purchase agreement and waive the subsequent performance of the Purchaser or assert a claim for compensation for non-performance; in the latter case Koller shall also be entitled, irrespective of a possible minimum sales price, to sell the item either directly or on the occasion of an auction, and may use the proceeds to reduce the debts of the Purchaser. Any possible sales price above the original hammer price shall be paid out to the Seller. The Purchaser is liable to Koller and the Seller for all prejudice caused by non-payment or late payment.
9.3 Koller retains a right of retention and a lien on all the Purchaser's items in its custody until full payment of all monies owed. Koller may exercise such liens in accordance with the legislation on the enforcement of debts or by private sale (including in its own name). The plea of prior lien exploitation pursuant to Art. 41 of the Swiss Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Act is excluded.
10. Representation
Each Purchaser shall be personally liable for the bid placed by him. Proof of the power of representation may be requested from persons bidding as agents for a third party or as an organ of a corporate body. The agent shall be jointly and severally liable with his principal for the fulfilment of all obligations.
11. Miscellaneous provisions
11.1 The auction shall be attended by an official from the city of Zurich. The attending official, the local authority and the state have no liability for the acts of Koller.
11.2 Koller reserves the right to publish illustrations and photographs of sold items in its own publications and the media and to publicise its services therewith.
11.3 The aforementioned provisions form part of each individual purchase agreement concluded at the auction. Amendments are binding only with Koller's written agreement.
11.4 The present Auction Conditions and all amendments thereof are governed by Swiss law.
11.5 The courts of the Canton of Zurich shall be exclusively responsible for settling disputes (including the assertion of offsetting and counterclaims) which arise out of or in conjunction with these Auction Conditions (including their validity, legal effect, interpretation or fulfilment). Koller may, however, initiate legal proceedings before any other competent court.
