7094 - Schmidt, Kurt

Schmidt, Kurt Study for a Mechanical Ballet Tempera, ink, and pencil on brownish vellum. 1923. 24 x 34 cm. Signed "Kurt Schmidt" in pencil and dated in the lower right corner. Geometrically rendered figures, which only vaguely resemble humans, combine with the abstract stage sets to form a visually layered narrative. During the few performances, the individual elements were moved by people standing behind them according to what was likely a spontaneously improvised choreography, resulting in ever-changing abstract visual compositions. After completing his studies at the Hamburg School of Applied Arts, Kurt Schmidt transferred to the Bauhaus in Weimar in 1920, where he studied under Johannes Itten and later under Wassily Kandinsky and Oskar Schlemmer. He is particularly known for his designs, set pieces, and choreographies centered on the theme of “mechanical theater.” On the occasion of the 1923 Bauhaus exhibition, he designed a window display and, together with Georg Teltscher and F.W. Bogler, developed the “Mechanical Ballet,” which was performed at the Jena City Theater in 1923. The abstract forms, which appear almost constructivist in nature, are transformed through movement and dance into independent marionettes. See also E. Ditsch and U. Rüdiger, Kurt Schmidt—Life and Work, Gera 1990, color ill. 55 (variant in a slightly larger format). Provenance: Private collection, Austria - Please request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is only indicated in the catalog in exceptional cases. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.