3270
Koester, Alexander
1864 Neustadt - 1932 Munich.
Flock of ducks on the reedy shore.
Pastel on strong wove paper. Signed lower left. Verso on the backing cardboard handwritten numbered «PE No 37», inscribed with the dimensions of the backing cardboard as well as estate stamp of the artist.
H 39, W 47,8 cm (sheet),
H 40,5, W 49,5 cm (backing cardboard). Framed.
A group of white ducks frolics on the sandy morass of a lakeshore. Scattered across the light blue sky, individual clouds are reflected in the smooth mirror of the water. This is a classic work by the impressionist Munich painter mogul Alexander Koester, who was affectionately nicknamed «Enten-Koester (duck-Koester)» for good reason. Among the collectors and admirers of his lifelike and equally sentimental depictions of poultry were illustrious personalities from the high nobility, such as the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria or German Emperor Wilhelm II. The palpable, deeply felt, almost touching interest of the «Enten-Koester (duck-Koester)» in his favorite animals and the impression of fleeting momentariness reinforced by his loose, airy painting style make the works of the student of the Akademie Karlsruhe significant examples of animal painting around 1900, which to this day unfold their delightful, enchanting effect through timeless and simple beauty.
We would like to thank Dr. Andrea Christine Bambi, head of provenance research, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich, for the kind remarks via E-Mail, based on photos, 29.07.2021.
Provenance: estate of the artist; donated by Else Eckhard, niece and executor of the artist's estate to the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich, inventory no. AK 308; sold in December 1979; since then private collection Munich.
Catalogue raisonné: Stein/Koester 1233 (here erroneously with wrong sheet dimensions: H 29, W 46 cm).

Condition report