Behind the Church by Lyonel Feininger

Art work details

Original Title :

Hinter der Stadtkirche

Year of production :

1916

Artist:

Lyonel Feininger

Medium :

Oil painting

Materials:

Oil paint, Canvas

Dimensions :

height: 73.5 cms; width: 90 cms

Credit Line :

Purchased from Mrs Tekla Hess, 1944

Copyright :

© DACS 2013

Associated Groups :

Der Blaue Reiter, Novembergruppe, Berliner Secession

Tags:

World War I, Architecture, Feininger, Brown

The square adjoining the City Church in Weimar is the subject of this picture. Feininger knew Weimar from pre-war visits but needed distance from location and in time for a vision to grow in his mind.

His technique of the precise overlapping and interlocking of simplified architectural forms, as cubes and triangles illuminated with different sources of light; and the application of rich and subtle gradations of colour reveals a new and strange beauty to the vast space. Originally titled The Square in the 1944 Leicester catalogue, retitled at the suggestion of the artist’s wife Julia Feininger in a letter dated May 28 1957, and published in Lyonel Feininger, the 1961 monograph by Hans Hess.

The additional images show a 1954 letter sent to Lyonel Feininger from the Leicester Keeper of Arts to request permission for commercial reproductions of this artwork 'Behind the Church' which is referred to as 'The Square'.

Also shown is the response from Lyonel Feininger agreeing to the reproduction and setting out the terms and fees.