514 - Lesser Ury (1861, Birnbaum, Posen – Berlin, 1931)

Lesser Ury (1861, Birnbaum, Posen – Berlin, 1931) Berlin Cathedral and Palace on the Spree, as seen from the Kurfürstenbrücke Oil on canvas, with relining. (Mid-1920s). Approx. 35.5 x 50.5 cm. Signed lower left. Accompanied by a photographic expert report by Dr. Sibylle Groß, Berlin, dated May 26, 2023. The painting will be included in the catalog raisonné of Lesser Ury’s paintings, pastels, gouaches, and watercolors, currently in preparation. • The painting depicts the Spree wing of the palace and Berlin Cathedral, viewed from the Long Electors’ Bridge looking north toward the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge (Karl Liebknecht Bridge) • Ury masterfully captures the atmosphere of modern Berlin • Ury’s works reveal his fascination with big-city life In addition to landscapes, Lesser Ury focused primarily on life in major cities. After spending time and studying in Düsseldorf, Brussels, Paris, London, and Munich, among other places, the artist has lived in Berlin since 1887, where he first joined the Berlin Secession under Lovis Corinth and became an honorary member in 1921. It is precisely Berlin’s metropolitan life that fascinates the painter and inspires his choice of subjects. Here, the painter depicts a view that is no longer possible for us to see: the City Palace directly on the Spree Canal, with Berlin Cathedral behind it. Following the demolition of the City Palace after the massive damage it sustained during World War II, the Palace of the Republic stood here during the GDR era. Its demolition, in turn, sparked a broad public debate. Today, parts of the palace have been reconstructed, though the Spree Wing retains only the original facade structure without its decorative elements. Bibliography: Seyppel, Joachim, *Lesser Ury, the Painter of the Old City: Life, Art, Influence*. A monograph, Berlin 1987, no. 368, b/w ill. 16, p. 128. Exhibitions: Possibly Lesser Ury. New Paintings from Two World Cities. Paris/Berlin, etc., Kunst Kammer Martin Wasservogel, Berlin 1928, cat. no. 21 or 27 (unillustrated, with the title “Cathedral”); Lesser Ury. Memorial Exhibition, National Gallery, Berlin, 1931, cat. no. 78 (“Cathedral and Palace in Berlin”); Lesser Ury on the 50th Anniversary of His Death. Paintings, Pastels, Drawings, and Prints, Galerie Pels-Leusden, Berlin 1981, No. 35, p. 7, b/w ill. p. 45 (“The Palace in Berlin”); Art and Arts and Crafts in Prussia, Pels-Leusden Gallery, Berlin 1981, No. 246a, b/w ill.; Max Liebermann and Members of the Berlin Secession. Paintings and Sculptures from the Wolfgang Schuller Collection, Museum Schlösschen im Hofgarten, Wertheim 2010, color ill. p. 129; Philipp Franck and the Berlin Secession from Max Liebermann to Lesser Ury, Museum Kronberger Malerkolonie, Kronberg im Taunus 2013/14. Provenance: The artist’s estate (“Cathedral and Castle from the Water’s Edge”), no. 291 (no longer visible due to lining); Paul Cassirer, The Artistic Estate of Lesser Ury: 129 Oil Paintings, 123 Pastels, Berlin, Oct. 21, 1932, Lot 111 (“Cathedral and Castle”), b/w ill. p. 42; Dr. Karl Schwarz (1885–1962), Berlin/Tel Aviv, acquired for Hermann Broder in 1932, Magdeburg/Haifa; Private collection, New York; Bassenge, Berlin, May 13, 1981, Lot 5874; Galerie Pels-Leusden; Private collection, Baden-Württemberg, since 1981. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).