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Lot Essay
The Arbeitsgruppe Alfons Walde (Gert Ammann, Peter Konzert, Carl Kraus, Michael Walde-Berger) has confirmed the authenticity of this work, which will be included in the forthcoming Alfons Walde catalogue raisonné.
We are grateful to Dr Carl Kraus for contributing the essay for the following work.
Bergweiler is an example of the characteristic late works of Alfons Walde that are in many cases distinguished in their richness of the detail, particularly the pronounced impasto, and divisions of elements into smaller areas of directly applied, and barely mixed colour. The view is of a village square with a fountain from which one a local woman, a Bäuerin, collects water. The scene is animated by a small figure walking in the background as well as two almost indistinguishable female villagers rising from the lower border of the scene. Two splashes of vibrant red come in the form of geraniums on the upper balcony and the red blanket hanging over the balcony of the house down on the square. Mountains, where the late Spring-Summer sun has revealed the forest and behind it the rocky Kaisergebirge (Emperor mountain); just one or two very thickly applied globules of white paint indicate the remains of snowfields - some snow is almost a must with Walde after all – giving depth to the background setting. Bergweiler shows itself to be a work of complex composition, clever use of perspective and with a pastose manner that appears to be almosted knitted.
There are several versions of Bergweiler; seven dated between 1934 and 1947 have been offered at auction the last twenty-five years. The present version is undoubtedly one of the most expressive.
We are grateful to Dr Carl Kraus for contributing the essay for the following work.
Bergweiler is an example of the characteristic late works of Alfons Walde that are in many cases distinguished in their richness of the detail, particularly the pronounced impasto, and divisions of elements into smaller areas of directly applied, and barely mixed colour. The view is of a village square with a fountain from which one a local woman, a Bäuerin, collects water. The scene is animated by a small figure walking in the background as well as two almost indistinguishable female villagers rising from the lower border of the scene. Two splashes of vibrant red come in the form of geraniums on the upper balcony and the red blanket hanging over the balcony of the house down on the square. Mountains, where the late Spring-Summer sun has revealed the forest and behind it the rocky Kaisergebirge (Emperor mountain); just one or two very thickly applied globules of white paint indicate the remains of snowfields - some snow is almost a must with Walde after all – giving depth to the background setting. Bergweiler shows itself to be a work of complex composition, clever use of perspective and with a pastose manner that appears to be almosted knitted.
There are several versions of Bergweiler; seven dated between 1934 and 1947 have been offered at auction the last twenty-five years. The present version is undoubtedly one of the most expressive.