606 - Erich Heckel (1883 Döbeln, Saxony – Radolfzell 1970)

Erich Heckel (1883 Döbeln, Saxony – Radolfzell 1970) Portrait of a Woman (Siddi Heckel) Watercolor and chalk on paper, mounted on cardboard. (19)20. Approx. 67 x 50.5 cm. Signed and dated lower right. We thank Renate Ebner and Hans Geissler, Erich Heckel Estate, Hemmenhofen, for their helpful guidance in cataloging this work. The watercolor is registered in the estate archive. • Expressive portrait of the dancer Siddi Riha, who later became the artist’s wife and muse • Large-format watercolor with beautiful light-dark contrasts • The room exudes a sense of middle-class comfort and domestic tranquility Erich Heckel and Milda Frieda Georgi, known as “Siddi,” met in late 1910. Siddi, who was working as a dancer at the time, became Heckel’s favorite model and muse for decades. In the fall of 1911, the two set up their first shared apartment in Berlin. Heckel captured his partner in numerous scenes and phases of her life. Depicted here in half-profile, Siddi is sitting at a table reading. Heckel focuses on his wife, who, in her black dress, stands out only slightly against the dark blue background. Her face, hair, and skin tone are rendered in light shades of yellow, partly graded with white. Heckel reprises this yellow hue in the ceiling of the room and in another implied standing figure behind Siddi. The light surfaces of the table, book, and hands—as well as the ruff of her dress—provide a strong contrast to the otherwise dark composition. The couple decorates their apartment, which also serves as Heckel’s studio, with batik fabrics and carved and painted furniture. Perhaps the figure behind Siddi is also a wooden sculpture carved by Heckel himself. The couple married in 1915, and their relationship would last until Heckel’s death in 1970. Despite the deep intimacy between artist and model, the portraits from 1920 onward possess a classical, almost solemn dignity. Siddi is no longer the wild, eroticized model of the bohemian scene, but rather the faithful life companion, muse, and guardian of their shared sanctuary. After Heckel’s death, Siddi sorted through and managed her husband’s extensive artistic estate, involving Heckel’s grandnephew, Hans Geissler, beginning in 1971. After her death in May 1982, he continued this work alone and, in 2017, handed it over to Renate Ebner due to his advancing age. Provenance: KARL&FABER, Nov. 17–19, 1960, Lot 542; Hauswedell & Nolte, Hamburg, Dec. 1–2, 1996, Lot 314; Serge Sabarsky Collection/Estate, New York, acquired from the aforementioned; Vally Sabarsky Collection/Foundation, New York. Taxation: subject to regular taxation (VAT: Regular Taxation).