633 - Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884, Rottluff near Chemnitz – Berlin, 1976)

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884, Rottluff near Chemnitz – Berlin, 1976) House in the Taunus Ink brush and colored chalk on handmade paper. (Probably the 1960s). Approx. 40 x 54 cm. Signed lower left. The work is registered in the archives of the Karl and Emy Schmidt-Rottluff Foundation, Berlin. We thank Christiane Remm for her helpful guidance in cataloging this work. • An impressive example of his late work, characterized by masterful artistic freedom and unflagging creative energy • A personal connection to the Taunus region and the circle of artists around Hanna Bekker vom Rath • Powerful contours and vibrant color accents With energetic brushstrokes, vibrant color accents, and remarkable lightness, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff imbues a simple landscape motif with an extraordinary presence. Strong black contours define the rhythm of the composition, while the freely applied chalk colors and the generously incorporated paper background unfold a playful vitality. For decades, the Taunus region was an important source of artistic inspiration for Schmidt-Rottluff. Beginning in 1932, he regularly visited his close friend and patron Hanna Bekker vom Rath in Hofheim, whose legendary “Blue House” became a vibrant gathering place for artists, musicians, writers, and theater people. Defamed as “degenerate” during the Nazi dictatorship and banned from painting in 1941, Schmidt-Rottluff largely withdrew from public artistic life. After the war ended, he resumed his stays in the Taunus region and once again found important inspiration for his work there. It is possible that this sheet also depicts the “Blue House,” a place so familiar to him. In *Haus im Taunus*, the masterful freedom of his late work is revealed. The sheet develops its unmistakable dynamism from the compelling interplay of striking lines, spontaneous use of color, and the open paper surface. With just a few decisive strokes, Schmidt-Rottluff achieves a composition of powerful expressiveness—a striking testament to his creative energy, which remained unbroken well into old age. Provenance: Artes Kunsthandlung GmbH, Rheda-Wiedenbrück; Private collection, Hesse, acquired from the aforementioned in 1990; Private collection, Northern Germany, inherited from the aforementioned. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).