171 - Franz Heckendorf

Franz Heckendorf 1888 Berlin – 1962 Munich – “Mother with Child” (Oriental Woman with Child) – (1917) Oil on canvas (sewn horizontally). 80 x 70.5 cm. 94 x 85 cm (dimensions including frame). Signed and dated lower left: F. Heckendorf / (19)17. Inscribed and titled on a paper label on the reverse: Franz Heckendorf / Mother with Child / Turkey. Also numbered on a label from the Kestner Society in Hanover: 1122. Inscribed on three collection labels on the reverse. Framed. - Provenance: H. Bahlsen’s Biscuit Factory KG. (Acquired in 1918 by Hermann Bahlsen during the exhibition at the Kestner Society); Delta Kunsthandels - u. Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, estate of Andrea v. Nordeck, née Bahlsen; Kastern Auction House, Hanover, Auction 174 on March 16, 2019, Lot 26; private collection, Hanover. Exhibition: XVII Special Exhibition of the Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover, May 15–June 16, 1918. - Bibliography: Kirchner, Joachim. Franz Heckendorf. Leipzig, 1919. Franz Heckendorf is considered one of the leading figures of Berlin Expressionism. His travels to Italy, Dalmatia, and Asia Minor found expression in a vividly colored, expressive visual language. The painting “Mother with Child,” created in 1917, illustrates his engagement with Oriental motifs. The monumental, nearly full-frame group of figures, the striking contours, and the cool color palette dominated by shades of blue and turquoise lend the work a powerful presence. Of particular art-historical significance is the work’s early exhibition history: as early as 1918, it was presented at the XVII Special Exhibition of the Kestner Society in Hanover, where it was acquired by the entrepreneur and art collector Hermann Bahlsen. The documented provenance from the Bahlsen family, as well as the preserved exhibition label, underscore the painting’s exceptionally well-documented collection history.