6795 - Fidus

Fidus Self-portrait in right-side profile. Charcoal on sturdy vellum. 49 x 39.2 cm. Signed lower left: "Fidus 13 II (18)91". The German painter and health reformer Fidus was in a decisive phase of artistic and personal self-discovery in the early 1890s. Initially, he was strongly influenced by the nature prophet Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach, with whom he studied from 1887 to 1889 before continuing his training at the Munich Academy. This striking portrait shows the artist, just 22 years old at the time, in profile. His long hair, combed back, falls over his shoulders onto his simple black jacket with a narrow stand-up collar, beneath which only a narrow strip of his white shirt is visible. The young artist appears focused and completely at peace with himself; his steady gaze is directed forward. There is a remarkable sense of unity in the austere simplicity of the depiction, as if Fidus already had a clear vision of himself and his future. Just one month later, Fidus drew his self-portrait a second time in charcoal on paper; this work is now in the Daulton Collection in Los Altos Hills, CA. The artist is wearing the same black jacket, but instead of a profile view, Fidus faces the viewer head-on with a questioning gaze. His appearance also shows a remarkable change: his long, wild hair has given way to a short haircut. It is precisely because they were created so close together in time that the two portraits take on special significance. The change in gaze, posture, and appearance can be interpreted as a visible expression of a process of self-reflection. In these self-portraits, Fidus seems not only to be capturing his outward appearance but also, through the depiction of his own self, to be reaffirming his artistic and personal identity. Provenance: From the artist’s estate, initially at the Fidus House. 1991–1996: Held in custody at the Berlinische Galerie. 1996 through February 2026: On permanent loan to the Archive of the German Youth Movement at Burg Ludwigstein (Inv. No. 591). Lit.: Janos Frecot, Johann Friedrich Geist, and Diethart Kerbs: Fidus, 1868–1948. On the Aesthetic Practice of Bourgeois Escape Movements, Munich 1972, p. 312: 1891, No. 10 (“Self-Portrait, Profile, Lead”). - We ask that you request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is usually not indicated in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.