656 - Max Kaus (1891 – Berlin – 1977)

Max Kaus (1891 – Berlin – 1977) Clivia Still Life II Oil on canvas. (1932). Approx. 90.5 x 74.5 cm. Signed lower left. Schmitt-Wischmann 192. • Expressionist power meets New Objectivity clarity and subtle coloration • Created in 1932 in Berlin, at the height of his creative career • A precious testament to his early oeuvre: in 1943, over 200 paintings were destroyed in a bombing raid With his “Clivia Still Life II” from 1932, Max Kaus achieves an interpretation of the classical floral still life that is as powerful as it is poetic. The rich green of the dynamically spreading leaves and the warm orange tones of the blossoms create a fascinating effect against the geometrically structured background. The finely balanced color palette and the clear, dynamic composition combine Expressionist expressiveness with a new, almost New Objectivity-like tranquility. The painting was created during a significant creative phase in the artist’s career. Long established in Berlin and already honored with the prestigious Villa Romana Prize in 1929, Kaus had developed a distinctive visual language that combined his artistic roots in Expressionism with an increasingly harmonious and refined formal language. In 1943, more than 200 paintings were destroyed during a bombing raid on his Berlin studio. The surviving still life from 1932 is thus an all the more precious testament to his artistic development. A still life of exceptional painterly quality that captivates with its subtle color palette, compositional sophistication, and timeless elegance. Provenance: C. G. Sloan & Company, Bethesda/Washington; Cornelia Ruthenberg, acquired from the aforementioned in 1995; Private collection, Berlin. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).