520 - Hanns Bolz (1885, Aachen – Munich, 1918)

Hanns Bolz (1885, Aachen – Munich, 1918) Portrait of the Art Dealer Alfred Flechtheim Oil on canvas. (Circa 1910/11). Approx. 41 x 33 cm. Accompanied by an expert report by Ernst Cremer, Aachen, dated October 10, 2008 (copy). • Portrait of the famous art dealer, art collector, and journalist Alfred Flechtheim (1878–1937) • In the style of New Objectivity, clean lines contrast with harmonious colors • A work by the young Bolz, whose career ended very early, in his early 30s In 1918, Hanns Bolz died in his early 30s from the effects of poison gas he had been exposed to during his time as a soldier in World War I. In his will, the young artist stipulated the completion of a project he had already begun himself: the destruction of all his works of art. The “Portrait of the Art Dealer Alfred Flechtheim” from 1910/11 proves that this endeavor was not successful. Bolz was from the Rhineland, where he studied before moving to Paris around 1908. There, he not only lived in an apartment formerly rented by Pablo Picasso, but also moved in the artistic circles of Montmartre. He quickly established strong connections with the other Germans living there. His works, stylistically rooted in the New Objectivity movement, caused a sensation. In 1912, he participated in the Sonderbund Exhibition in Cologne; in 1913, he took part in the Armory Show in the U.S. and the Berlin Autumn Salon. Among his patrons were Hans Goltz and Alfred Flechtheim, two of the pioneering art dealers of the modern era. The latter would organize a memorial exhibition in 1922 following Bolz’s death, featuring 30 of the artist’s paintings—thus turning the desire to destroy his work on its head. The portrait of Flechtheim shows his face in half-profile. The side lighting accentuates his striking facial features, while the tonal use of color harmonizes the jagged forms of the painting. The portrait thus not only depicts Flechtheim in the style of the young Bolz, but also illustrates how quickly Bolz established himself in Paris: Having moved to Paris in 1908, he was already so well integrated into the art circles just two years later that he was painting Flechtheim, who in turn supported Bolz with exhibitions and sales. Bibliography: See Heusinger von Waldegg, Joachim, “In memoriam Hanns Bolz,” in: *Aachener Kunstblätter*, vol. 47, 1976/77, p. 293ff.; Cremer, Ernst, *Hanns Bolz: Ambassador of Modernism*, Alsdorf 2018, p. 232. Exhibition: The George Economou Collection, Municipal Gallery of Athens, 2011, color ill. p. 308. Provenance: Der Neue Kunstsalon Max Dietzel, Munich, stamped on the reverse of the stretcher; Neue Kunst Hans Goltz, Munich, label on the back of the stretcher; Private collection, Southern Germany, until 2008; Ketterer, Munich, Dec. 3, 2008, Lot 230; The George Economou Collection, Athens, with a label on the reverse of the frame; acquired from the aforementioned collection; Collection, Rhineland, since 2020. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).