Hermann Max Pechstein
1881 - 1955
Südseeszene. 1948.
Watercolor.
Signed and dated in the lower righ. On firm wove paper, mounted on light cardboard. 44.4 x 61.6 cm (17.4 x 24.2 in), the full sheet.
Study for the 1950 painting “Am Bachufer” (Soika 1950/6).
Hans Cürlis filmed Pechstein while he was working on this painting and presumably received the watercolor as a gift in this context. [KA].

• Study for the 1950 painting “Am Bachufer.”
• Vision of paradise: a masterful watercolor inspired by Pechstein’s formative journey to the Palau Islands in 1914, which is considered a turning point in his career.
• Central motif of Expressionism: longing for a primal, nature-oriented life.

We thank Ms. Julia Pechstein, Berlin, for her kind assistance.

PROVENANCE: Hans Cürlis, Berlin.
Private collection, Germany (inherited from the above)
Private collection, Berlin (acquired from the above).

In good condition. The sheet is generally browned and has a slight natural wave. The reverse is partially mounted on a cut-out piece of cardboard. The upper edge of the sheet has a few tiny tears and small areas of paper loss, the upper left corner has been professionally reinforced. The upper and right edges of the sheet have some small, faint creases. A small, superficial rub mark in the lower left corner.