Kurt Schwitters' early work once belonged to the collection of the family Willmer in Hanover. At the end of the 19th century, the entrepreneurial family had a palatial villa built in the neo-Gothic style, which was demolished in 1971 (see ill.: Historical photograph of Villa Willmer, around 1890). Schwitters was a friend of the family and a frequent guest at Villa Willmer (also known as Villa Tränenburg). The family probably acquired our still life directly from the artist.
Oil on canvas, laid down on masonite. 54 × 77 cm
(21 ¼ × 30 ⅜ in.). Signed and dated lower right: K. Schwitters 13. On the stretcher remains of a label of the Kunstverein Hannover. Catalogue raisonné: Orchard/Schulz 73. Accompanied by a certificate by Dr. Isabel Schulz, Sprengel Museum, Hanover, dated 13 May 2024 (in copy). Retouchings. [3040] Framed
Provenance
Family Willmer, Hanover / Private Collection, Northern Germany (acquired before 1995)
Kurt Schwitters' early work once belonged to the collection of the family Willmer in Hanover. At the end of the 19th century, the entrepreneurial family had a palatial villa built in the neo-Gothic style, which was demolished in 1971 (see ill.: Historical photograph of Villa Willmer, around 1890). Schwitters was a friend of the family and a frequent guest at Villa Willmer (also known as Villa Tränenburg). The family probably acquired our still life directly from the artist.
