876 - Horst Janssen (1929 Hamburg – 1995 ibid.)

Horst Janssen (1929 Hamburg – 1995 ibid.) Napkin with a drawn self-portrait and aphorisms A self-portrait by Janssen that nearly fills the entire page, framed by his characteristic written aphorisms: “Angelo—here, of course, Lucifer is speaking only ‘literally’ or as a guest / Well, Angelo—life is life, and ‘making the most of it’ is the second life—and what is the third?”; Furthermore, an unsolvable math problem, presumably an allusion to an unpaid tavern bill. The composition on a restaurant napkin stained with red wine was created spontaneously during one of Janssen’s visits to his favorite Italian tavern “Da Angelo” in Hamburg-Rissen, which was run by Angelo Convertino from 1983 to 1989, and is part of a collection of other drawings and mementos that the artist gave to his friend at the time. In 2000, Janssen expert Hans Brockstedt verbally confirmed the authenticity of the drawings. Black felt-tip pen on cotton napkin. Signed and dated “6 6 88” on the reverse. Folded. 40 cm x 40 cm. Provenance: Angelo Convertino/Restaurant “Da Angelo” as a gift from the artist in the 1980s. See “Discovered at the ‘Italian’! Janssen Works on Aprons and Napkins,” *Bild Hamburg*, March 1, 2000, p. 6; Exhibited at the Horst Janssen Museum in Oldenburg, “I Was a Connoisseur of Everything. Horst Janssen Sets the Table,” April 1 through June 9, 2025. Felt-tip pen on cotton napkin. Signed and dated.