Lot 400 D

The Bauhaus in Weimar was closed in 1925 due to political unrest. After the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in 1926, Feininger moved into the Master House no. 1 that had been newly built by Gropius. The artist began a new period of work here. He already tended to spend the summer months on the Baltic coast since 1924, where the sea provided him with plenty of motifs. During these stays, no paintings where produced but rather a series of drawings and watercolours in which Feininger recorded his impressions and nature studies. Together with his sons, he built models of sailing boats which he tried out not only for childish fun and to organise regattas but he also sketched and photographed them. (cf. Hans Hess, Feininger, Stuttgart 1959, p. 98). As generally known, Feininger was not just a 'fan' of modern technical developments but also a great romanticist. Perceptible moments of nostalgia adhere to most of his drawings. The small figures that can be discovered on the yachts make the people appear tiny compared to the surrounding nature and therefore put everything else into relation.
A similar drawing, dated 1927, titled "Fischer=Flotte" is owned as a conterpart by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.