Max Peiffer Watenphul
Landschaft am Gardasee (Blick auf einen See)
1930/1935
Oil on canvas, mounted on fibreboard 35.5 x 39.6 cm (dimensions of fibreboard 36.8 x 39.8 cm) Framed. Signed and dated 'Watenphul 1930' in black upper right, monogrammed and dated 'M.P.W. 35' lower left. - In good condition. The canvas irregularly cut. With a superficial loss of colour in the area of the house.
This painting shows Peiffer Watenphul's fascination with the picturesque charm of southern European landscapes. At first sight, the entire space seems to be covered with leaves and arabesque-like branches. The lavish vegetation, the view of Lake Garda, the sunset and several tranquil villas turn this auspicious theme into a little paradise. Whereas the composition as a whole seems fairly closed and definitive, there is something free and unrestrained about the artist's creative narrative. The detailed rendering of the branches and their gestural character add a touch of individualism and virtuosity to his painterly style. Peiffer Watenphul had been to Italy many times and was therefore quite familiar with it. In 1931, when the artist was already 35, he received a much sought-after scholarship at the Villa Massimo, involving a nine-month stay in Rome. At that time Peiffer Watenphul was already teaching at the Folkwang School of Design.
Catalogue Raisonné
Not recorded by Pasqualucci
Certificate
With a confirmation of authenticity by Alessandra Pasqualucci, Rome, dated 18 April 2005. The work will be included in the supplement of the catalogue raisonné of oil paintings by Peiffer Watenphul.
Provenance
Collection Buller, Duisburg; Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia; Private possession, Lower Saxony
Exhibitions
Düsseldorf 1955 (Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen), Wilhelm Buller collection, cat. no. 253 (here titled: "Blick auf einen See").