Lot 59 D

It was Werner Schmalenbach who first mentioned the dichotomy between materiality and spontaneity of the brush strokes in Emil Schumacher's paintings. Schumacher's gesture oscillates between the opposing forces of impulsiveness and control. Courageous and spontaneous application of paint alternates with cautious and careful actions within the surface level. It is as if his paintings do not contain any negative space, but rather waves and processes spread across the entire surface. He alternately applies paint, then removes it by intervening in the surface with a spatula. The canvases were often prepared a priori in such a way, that Schumacher was already working on a relief-like surface structure. The present painting was used as the title motif for Werner Schmalenbach's monography published by DuMont in 1981. With a dark colour along the upper edge it shows punctual white accents. The canvas displays the characteristic fields of color, the playful, nervous style and the often-used earthy tones for which Schumacher has become famous.