138 - HÖCH, HANNAH

HÖCH, HANNAH 1889 Gotha–1978 Berlin Title: "Three Forms II". Date: 1954. Technique: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 80 x 90 cm. Inscription: Monogrammed lower left: H.H. Titled, dated, and inscribed upper right on the reverse: “Drei Formen II” 1954 Mensch, Vogel, Blatt. Signed lower left: HÖCH. Frame: Framed. We are grateful to Dr. Ralf Burmeister of the Berlinische Galerie for his kind scholarly support. Provenance: - Estate of the artist / Carlberg Höch Collection (stamp) - Hannoversche Volksbank eG, Hanover Exhibition: - Exhibition halls at the Radio Tower, Berlin 1954 - Galerie Nierendorf, Berlin 1964/65 - Goethe-Institut/National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 1974 Literature: - Exhibition catalog: Hannah Höch on Her 75th Birthday—Oil Paintings, Collages. Galerie Nierendorf, Berlin 1964/65, cat. no. 34 - Exhibition catalog: Hannah Höch – The Artistic Work of a Dada Painter, Goethe-Institut/National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto 1974, cat. no. 13 The proceeds from the auction of works from the Hannoversche Volksbank art collection will benefit the bank’s own foundation, which is dedicated to promoting art and culture, education and training, youth welfare, and support for people receiving public assistance. Through this initiative in support of the “Hannoversche Volksbank Foundation,” the bank is underscoring its active commitment to social responsibility. - A leading figure of the Berlin Dada movement and a pioneer of photomontage - A distinctive fusion of representational motifs and abstract formal language - Vibrant splashes of color against deep black characterize this expressive postwar composition. Hannah Höch is one of the most important female artists of Classical Modernism and is considered a pioneer of photomontage. After studying at art and design schools in Berlin, she joined the Berlin Dada circle around 1918 and developed a radically new visual language using photographs, newspaper clippings, and fragments of text. Her montages combine sharp social criticism with questions about gender roles and identity. During the Nazi era, she was banned from exhibiting and withdrew to Berlin-Heiligensee. After 1945, she continued her multifaceted creative work. She never limited herself to Dada and collage: representational and abstract painting, drawing, and watercolor were equally integral to her body of work. It is precisely this stylistic openness that makes Höch a distinctive voice within the European avant-garde. This painting, created in 1954, impressively demonstrates how Höch continued to develop her visual language after the war. Three dark, nearly vertical forms are arranged against a light blue background. On the left, a stylized tree crown is visible; in the center, a human face stands out; while on the right, the abstracted silhouette of a bird emerges against a dark background. Vibrant patches of orange, green, and red, as well as circular elements, structure the composition. Delicate, sweeping lines encircle and connect the three motifs, lending the painting additional movement. The human, the bird, and the tree remain recognizable but are largely reduced to elementary forms and transformed into an abstract visual structure. This reveals a fundamental principle of Höch’s later work: as in her collages, individual forms are combined, superimposed, and placed in new contexts. The painting was created during a phase in which Höch was increasingly experimenting with abstract compositions. “3 Forms II” combines this turn toward abstraction with her characteristic delight in transformation and ambiguity. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is only possible via a shipping company after consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros over a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #Hannah Höch #Dadaism #Germany #Modern Art #1950s #Shapes #Painting #Modern Art. This lot will be sold subject to standard taxation (Conditions of Sale §V6.1) In accordance with §26 UrhG (German Copyright Act), VAN HAM is obligated to pay a statutory resale royalty on the sale proceeds of all original works of fine art and photography whose authors have not been deceased for 70 years prior to the end of the calendar year of the sale. The buyer shall contribute 1.5% of the hammer price toward this fee.