Impressionismus & Moderne Lot 3201 – 3317 Freitag, 23. Juni 2023, 16.30 Uhr

3243 ERICH HECKEL (Döbeln 1883–1970 Radolfzell) Yellow sun. 1917. Tempera on canvas. Signed and dated lower right: Erich Heckel 17. Signed and titled on the reverse: E. Heckel / Gelbe Sonne. 70 × 80 cm. Provenance: - Gustav Ratjen, Berlin. - Nationalgalerie Berlin, on loan 1932. - Johannes Geller collection, Neuss, probably acquired after 1945. - Else Geller-Zärtling collection, Neuss, until 1980. - Galerie WilhelmGrosshennig, Dusseldorf, 1980. - Galerie Rosenbach, Hanover, 1986. - Private collection, Basel. Exhibited: - Berlin 1922, Erich Heckel, Kronprinzen- palais, March–May 1922. - Berlin 1928, Neuere deutsche Kunst aus Berliner Privatbesitz, Kronprinzenpalais, April 1928, no. 32. - Neuss 1951, Moderne Kunst aus Neusser Privatbesitz (Johannes Geller collection), autumn 1951. - Duisburg 1957, Erich Heckel, Städtisches Museum, 20.7.–1.9.1957, no. 30. - Dusseldorf 1980, Deutsche und franzö- sische Kunstwerke des 20. Jahrhunderts, Galerie WilhelmGrosshennig, 17.10.– 31.3.1981. - Dusseldorf 1981, Erich Heckel, Galerie WilhelmGrosshennig, 21.5.–16.6.1981 (cat. p. 16). - Hanover 1986, Galerie Rosenbach, cat. 31, no. 33. Literature: - Andreas Hüneke: Erich Heckel. Werkver- zeichnis der Gemälde, Wandbilder und Skulpturen, Munich 2017, vol. I, p. 339, no. 1917-8 (with ill.). - Paul Vogt: Erich Heckel. Werkverzeich- nis sämtlicher Gemälde, Wandmalerei und Plastiken, Recklinghausen 1965, no. 1917-5 (with ill.). A considerable proportion of Erich Heckel's seascapes were created in Ost- end between 1915 and 1918. During the final three years of the First World War, He- ckel resided in Flanders, where he served in Ghent and Ostend as a military medic in the unit of his friend and art patron, Walter Kaesbach. In 1915 Kaesbach voluntarily enlisted in the medical corps and, as a sec- tion commander, assembled a number of artists within his unit. Owing to his flexible duty roster, Heckel regularly found time to paint alongside his duties as a medic. As a result, more than 70 paintings were produced between 1915 and 1918. Heckel was captivated by the coastal land- scape and the colours of the sea surroun- ding Ostend and he created numerous seascapes that captured the moods and impressions of this environment. The seascapes from this period are characte- rised by vivid colours and dynamic forms, showcasing Heckel's talent for depicting movement and light. The artist was less concerned with a realistic depiction of na- ture, but rather with conveying the mood and sensation he experienced through the landscape, translating it into an expressi- ve visual language. As in 'Yellow sun', the shapes and lines remain highly simplified and distorted, lending the painting an abstract quality. Heckel's choice of employing tempera instead of oil paint for his landscape pain- tings is also noteworthy. He was impressed not only by the luminosity and intensity of tempera, but also by the greater control over the paint and the rapid drying time, which allowed him to work more swiftly and apply multiple layers to achieve specific effects. Although Heckel was not situated directly on the front lines, the weight of the war also bore heavily upon his shoulders. He- ckel was not one of those artists who ex- press political views through their painting; nevertheless, he has adeptly captured the ambivalence, conveying it with sensitivity through the ominous clouds that stand in contrast to the yellow sun. CHF 100 000 / 150 000 (€ 102 040 / 153 060) | 52 Impressionist & Modern Art: A Basel Private Collection