142 - VIEGENER, EBERHARD

VIEGENER, EBERHARD 1890 Soest–1967 Bilme/Soest Title: Still Life with a Ball. Date: 1928. Technique: Oil on plywood panel. Dimensions: 48 x 58 cm. Notation: Signed and dated lower right: EBERHARD VIEGENER 1928. Inscribed on the reverse upper right in a hand other than the artist’s: “Private collection of Josef Viegener, Hamm.” Frame: Artist’s frame. An expert report by Mr. Walter Weihs of the Wilhelm Morgner Archive in Soest, dated November 5, 2020, is available for this work. Provenance: - Werner Viegener collection (directly from the artist) - Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia - A central work in Viegener’s significant New Objectivity creative phase - The minimalist formal language and the “glow” within the color fields reveal Viegener’s affinity with magical realism - The still life derives its particular impact from the interplay between objective representation and enigmatic composition In the 1920s, Eberhard Viegener underwent a fundamental transformation in his painting. Starting from a visual language initially influenced by Expressionism, he developed an increasingly objective, precise style of representation and established his own distinct position within New Objectivity. Clear contours, smooth surfaces, and a carefully coordinated color palette characterize his works from this period. Particularly in his still lifes, Viegener combines the precise depiction of everyday objects with an unusual, at times enigmatic composition. The “Stillleben mit Ball,” created in 1928, depicts an unusual arrangement of various objects. A bulbous vase, a blue-and-white ball, an elongated tube, a dark book, and several playing cards are arranged against a background of interlocking rectangular planes. The objects overlap in many places and appear to lie on planes inclined at different angles. In particular, the tube protruding diagonally into the picture breaks through the prevailing horizontal and vertical order and lends the composition a pronounced sense of spatial tension. The finely nuanced shades of brown, gray, and ochre are enlivened by the cool blue of the ball and small red accents. Gentle gradations of light and shadow lend the objects an almost sculptural physicality, while their unusual arrangement challenges familiar spatial relationships. The playing cards—which in still lifes can traditionally also allude to chance and transience—introduce an additional layer of meaning. It is precisely this interplay of objective representation, potential symbolism, and enigmatic staging that gives the still life its special impact. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is only available 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. #Eberhard Viegener #New Objectivity #Germany #Modern Art #1920s #Modern Art. 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.