Hans Purrmann Lot n° 712

Hans Purrmann - Standing female nude. Oil on canvas. (1914). Approx. 81 x 65,5 cm. Signed lower right. - Painted in Paris before the First World War - The incarnate becomes a feast of colors - From the estate of the well-known German art historian Barbara Göpel (1922-2017) After studying at the Munich Academy with Franz von Stuck and in Berlin, where he studied the Impressionism of Liebermann's manner, Purrmann moved to Paris in 1905. There he met Henri Matisse in the circle of the Stein siblings. He soon developed an intense friendship with Matisse, who was 11 years his senior, which led to a further development of Purrmann's art, especially in the years 1908-11. Now ornamental-abstract surfaces also appear in his works; his colors become more luminous, and he often uses unmixed colors. The present work was created in Paris before the First World War. The incarnate skin alone is a feast of color. From the deep reds on the shins, echoing the colors of the carpet on which the model is standing, to pinks, light greens, the yellowish and orange brushstrokes on the belly, the purple tones for the shadow under the breasts: the color vibrates and lives on the naked skin. The model seems to move through the nervous play of colors. The impression is further enhanced by the strong contrapposto of the figure and the slight rotation. The body appears as if it is spiraling upwards. Here Purrmann has internalized what Matisse said about color: it should "serve expression as much as possible." Verso on the stretcher with customs stamp as well as two small labels and various handwritten numberings. Lenz/Billeter 1914/01. Literature: Hausen, Edmund, Der Maler Hans Purrmann, Berlin 1950, (Kunst unserer Zeit, vol. 4), p. 20, with ill. Exhibition: Hans Purrmann, Pfälzische Landesgewerbeanstalt, Kaiserslautern et al. 1950, cat. no. 11; Hans Purrmann (1880-1966) on the occasion of his 100th birthday, Museum Langenargen, 1980, cat. no. 12; Hans Purrmann. Stilleben, Akte, Interieurs, Kunstverein Speyer/Lindau 1990, cat.-no. 19. Provenance: estate of Barbara Göpel, Munich, probably acquired directly from the artist. Taxation: Differentially taxed VAT: Margin Scheme