Lot 213 
Raumbeispiel
213
Kurt Schwitters
Ohne Titel (Die Handlung spielt in Theben), 1922.
Collage. Paper and red chalks on backing cardboard
Estimate:
€ 70,000 - 90,000
$ 79,100 - 101,700
Ohne Titel (Die Handlung spielt in Theben). 1922.
Collage. Paper and red chalks on backing cardboard.
Signed in the lower left. 16.3 x 20 cm (6.4 x 7.8 in). Backing board: 22 x 25,7 cm (8,26 x 9,84 in).
[MH].
• A characteristic "Merz drawing" by the important Dada protagonist, particularly notable for its rare landscape format.
• After initial attempts at Impressionism and Constructivism, Schwitters developed his signature pictorial language in his "Merzzeichnungen".
• Shortly after the birth of abstract painting, Schwitters took a crucial step by banishing any style as an artistic signature from his creations.
• In 1985/86 part of the comprehensive solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Gallery, London.
PROVENANCE: Charlotte Weidler, New York (no later than 1962–1978. With a collection label on the reverse, dated 1918).
Chalette Gallery, New York (1966, probably on consignment from the above).
Solomon, New York (acquired by Charlotte Weidler around 1978, with a label on the reverse)
From a Swiss collection.
EXHIBITION: Kurt Schwitters, Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio (Texas) / Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena/California, cat. no. 7 ( illustrated) / The Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester (New Hempshire) / The Phillips Collection, Washington / University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minnesota) / J. B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville (Kentucky), 1962/63.
Kurt Schwitters, Chalette Gallery, New York, October/November 1963, cat. No. 6 ( illustrated).
Art in the Mirror, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Nov. 22, 1966 - Feb. 6, 1967, cat. no. 34.
Kurt Schwitters, Galerie Vömel, Düsseldorf, March 1971, cat. no. 2 ( illustrated).
Kurt Schwitters, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, June 10 - October 1, 1985, illu. 84 / Tate Gallery, London, November 6, 1985-January 5, 1986, cat. no. 89 / Sprengel Museum, Hanover, February 4 - April 20, 1986, cat. no. 126 (illustrated).
LITERATURE: Karin Orchard, Isabel Schulz, Kurt Schwitters. Catalogue raisonné, published by Sprengel Museum Hanover, vol. 1: 1905-1922, Ostfildern 2000, no. 1038 (illustrated).
--
Simone Frigerio, Importance de Schwitters (1887-1948), in: Aujourd'hui, vol. 47, Paris 1964, pp. 14-17 (illustrated).
John Elderfield, The Early Work of Kurt Schwitters, in: Artforum, vol. X, issue 3, 1971, pp. 54-67 ( illustrated).
Micheal Erlhoff (ed.), Kurt Schwitters Almanach 3, Kulturamt der Stadt Hannover 1982-1991.
Udo Liebelt, Kurt Schwitters. Werke und Themen, Hanover 1986 ( illustrated).
John Elderfield, Kurt Schwitters, Düsseldorf 1987 (illustrated).
Dorothea Dietrich, The Collection of Kurt Schwitters. Tradition and Innovation, Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1993/1995 ( illustrated).
Dorothea Dietrich, Les Habits neufs de la tradition. Schwitters les femmes et les collages, in: Les Cahiers du Musée national d'art moderne, vol. 51, Paris 1995, pp. 81-105 ( illustrated).
Kim Behm, Die frühen Nachkriegszeichnungen von Kurt Schwitters (1918-1923), unpublished typescript; master's thesis, University of Marburg 1997.
Isabelle Ewig, Kurt Schwitters Oxymore ou l'art de la contradiction, unpublished typescript, PhD thesis, Sorbonne University, Paris 2000 (illustarted).
"I felt abssolutely free and I had to scream my elation out into the world. Out of thrift, I took what I could find, because we were an impoverished country. You can also shout with garbage, and that's what I did by gluing and nailing things together."
Kurt Schwitters on his "Merz" art.
Friedrich Lach (ed.), Kurt Schwitters. Das Literarische Werk, vol. 5, Cologne 1973-1981, p. 335.
Called up: June 7, 2025 - ca. 16.30 h +/- 20 min.
Collage. Paper and red chalks on backing cardboard.
Signed in the lower left. 16.3 x 20 cm (6.4 x 7.8 in). Backing board: 22 x 25,7 cm (8,26 x 9,84 in).
[MH].
• A characteristic "Merz drawing" by the important Dada protagonist, particularly notable for its rare landscape format.
• After initial attempts at Impressionism and Constructivism, Schwitters developed his signature pictorial language in his "Merzzeichnungen".
• Shortly after the birth of abstract painting, Schwitters took a crucial step by banishing any style as an artistic signature from his creations.
• In 1985/86 part of the comprehensive solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Gallery, London.
PROVENANCE: Charlotte Weidler, New York (no later than 1962–1978. With a collection label on the reverse, dated 1918).
Chalette Gallery, New York (1966, probably on consignment from the above).
Solomon, New York (acquired by Charlotte Weidler around 1978, with a label on the reverse)
From a Swiss collection.
EXHIBITION: Kurt Schwitters, Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio (Texas) / Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena/California, cat. no. 7 ( illustrated) / The Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester (New Hempshire) / The Phillips Collection, Washington / University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minnesota) / J. B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville (Kentucky), 1962/63.
Kurt Schwitters, Chalette Gallery, New York, October/November 1963, cat. No. 6 ( illustrated).
Art in the Mirror, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Nov. 22, 1966 - Feb. 6, 1967, cat. no. 34.
Kurt Schwitters, Galerie Vömel, Düsseldorf, March 1971, cat. no. 2 ( illustrated).
Kurt Schwitters, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, June 10 - October 1, 1985, illu. 84 / Tate Gallery, London, November 6, 1985-January 5, 1986, cat. no. 89 / Sprengel Museum, Hanover, February 4 - April 20, 1986, cat. no. 126 (illustrated).
LITERATURE: Karin Orchard, Isabel Schulz, Kurt Schwitters. Catalogue raisonné, published by Sprengel Museum Hanover, vol. 1: 1905-1922, Ostfildern 2000, no. 1038 (illustrated).
--
Simone Frigerio, Importance de Schwitters (1887-1948), in: Aujourd'hui, vol. 47, Paris 1964, pp. 14-17 (illustrated).
John Elderfield, The Early Work of Kurt Schwitters, in: Artforum, vol. X, issue 3, 1971, pp. 54-67 ( illustrated).
Micheal Erlhoff (ed.), Kurt Schwitters Almanach 3, Kulturamt der Stadt Hannover 1982-1991.
Udo Liebelt, Kurt Schwitters. Werke und Themen, Hanover 1986 ( illustrated).
John Elderfield, Kurt Schwitters, Düsseldorf 1987 (illustrated).
Dorothea Dietrich, The Collection of Kurt Schwitters. Tradition and Innovation, Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1993/1995 ( illustrated).
Dorothea Dietrich, Les Habits neufs de la tradition. Schwitters les femmes et les collages, in: Les Cahiers du Musée national d'art moderne, vol. 51, Paris 1995, pp. 81-105 ( illustrated).
Kim Behm, Die frühen Nachkriegszeichnungen von Kurt Schwitters (1918-1923), unpublished typescript; master's thesis, University of Marburg 1997.
Isabelle Ewig, Kurt Schwitters Oxymore ou l'art de la contradiction, unpublished typescript, PhD thesis, Sorbonne University, Paris 2000 (illustarted).
"I felt abssolutely free and I had to scream my elation out into the world. Out of thrift, I took what I could find, because we were an impoverished country. You can also shout with garbage, and that's what I did by gluing and nailing things together."
Kurt Schwitters on his "Merz" art.
Friedrich Lach (ed.), Kurt Schwitters. Das Literarische Werk, vol. 5, Cologne 1973-1981, p. 335.
Called up: June 7, 2025 - ca. 16.30 h +/- 20 min.
213
Kurt Schwitters
Ohne Titel (Die Handlung spielt in Theben), 1922.
Collage. Paper and red chalks on backing cardboard
Estimate:
€ 70,000 - 90,000
$ 79,100 - 101,700
Buyer's premium and taxation for Kurt Schwitters "Ohne Titel (Die Handlung spielt in Theben)"
This lot can be purchased subject to differential or regular taxation.
Differential taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 32 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 27 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 22 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The buyer's premium contains VAT, however, it is not shown.
Regular taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 27 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 21% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 15% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The statutory VAT of currently 7 % is levied to the sum of hammer price and premium.
We kindly ask you to notify us before invoicing if you wish to be subject to regular taxation.
Differential taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 32 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 27 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 22 % and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The buyer's premium contains VAT, however, it is not shown.
Regular taxation:
Hammer price up to 800,000 €: herefrom 27 % premium.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 800,000 € is subject to a premium of 21% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 800,000 €.
The share of the hammer price exceeding 4,000,000 € is subject to a premium of 15% and is added to the premium of the share of the hammer price up to 4,000,000 €.
The statutory VAT of currently 7 % is levied to the sum of hammer price and premium.
We kindly ask you to notify us before invoicing if you wish to be subject to regular taxation.
Headquarters
Joseph-Wild-Str. 18
81829 Munich
Phone: +49 89 55 244-0
Fax: +49 89 55 244-177
info@kettererkunst.de
Louisa von Saucken / Christoph Calaminus
Holstenwall 5
20355 Hamburg
Phone: +49 40 37 49 61-0
Fax: +49 40 37 49 61-66
infohamburg@kettererkunst.de
Dr. Simone Wiechers / Nane Schlage
Fasanenstr. 70
10719 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 88 67 53-63
Fax: +49 30 88 67 56-43
infoberlin@kettererkunst.de
Cordula Lichtenberg
Gertrudenstraße 24-28
50667 Cologne
Phone: +49 221 510 908-15
infokoeln@kettererkunst.de
Hessen
Rhineland-Palatinate
Miriam Heß
Phone: +49 62 21 58 80-038
Fax: +49 62 21 58 80-595
infoheidelberg@kettererkunst.de
We will inform you in time.