Lot 309 Dα

This work shows an appealing and mysterious view of a red and white house seen through the protective dark pine trees. The motif allows us to speak of a solid build-up of the pictorial structure. This work was painted during the First World War, probably during Kanoldt's military service in Alsace-Lorraine. According to Michael Koch it depicts the villa of the author Edmond About in Zabern/Saverne which is still existing today but has now been structurally altered.
The complementary contrasts of red and green, light and dark, rigidity and movement create an interesting composition. Despite the formal tension created by the numerous intersecting diagonals, the work still exudes a reserved spatial and tonal harmony. The striking architectural form and lack of signs of human inhabitancy underline the pathos of the image and already suggest the later “magical realism”.