6671 - Runge, Philipp Otto

Runge, Philipp Otto Branch with Leaves. Silhouette cutout made of handmade paper, selectively mounted on a blue backing. Approx. 26 x 10.3 cm (silhouette); 38.5 x 25 cm (backing). As early as his childhood, Runge was introduced to the art of paper cutting by his older sister, Maria Elisabeth. He soon developed a remarkable skill in this medium, which remained a constant throughout his artistic career. In later letters, Runge mentioned that he sometimes wished he could handle a pen and brush just as effortlessly. In his spare time, he created fairy-tale scenes, portrait silhouettes, and—in particular—flower and plant motifs out of white paper. Runge often gave these small works of art as gifts to friends, including the family of Johannes Michael Speckter, with whom he was closely associated; the present sheet comes from their estate. Provenance: Otto Speckter Collection, Hamburg. Private collection, Northern Germany. Lit.: Cornelia Richter: Philipp Otto Runge. “Ich weiß eine schöne Blume.” Catalog Raisonné of Paper Cuttings, Munich 1981, no. 179. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.