Provenance

Galerie Nathan

Dr. Fritz Nathan
Fritz and Peter Nathan
Galerie Nathan

Swiss, est. 1922

Explore selected works

This painting displays geometric shapes with soft edges. In the center is a form resembling a white house, with a large red triangular shape at the top and smaller beige rectangles that could be windows. To the right are vertical green lines that could be trees and a red rectangle that might be another structure. At the bottom of the painting are dark brown and blue squares, and at the top is an area with light blue and pink coloring. The paint has been applied lightly and unevenly, leaving areas where the brown background is visible. “
Paul Klee, New House in the Suburbs, 1924, gouache on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1983.1.22

New House in the Suburbs

Paul Klee · 1924 · gouache on canvas ·  Accession ID  1983.1.22

We look down onto a pile with a newspaper, theater program, pipe, a black and white checkerboard, and other objects painted as abstracted, geometric forms on a tabletop in this nearly square still life painting. Near the center, a rectangular form like a newspaper is painted with the headline “LE JOURNAL.” Next to it, to our left, a playbill has the name “FANTOMAS” written in black against a parakeet-green background, above black mask and a “65” in a circle below. There are blocks of stylized, painted wood grain and other areas of color that do not line up with the objects represented. For instance, this conflicting pattern means that the lettering of the newspaper changes from white against the brown woodgrain to green against white. Moreover, seemingly unconnected to the objects, colors, and spaces below, yet more objects like a goblet and bowl of fruit are painted with white outlines that overlay the wood and objects below. A checkerboard pattern is layered under the woodgrain and papers, near the lower right corner, and another pattern like architectural molding carved with stylized leaves runs along the back, above the papers. The papers and a few other objects seem to cast shadows on the blocks of color behind them, so areas of lilac purple at the top left and burgundy red along the right edge read visually as a background behind everything. The artist signed the work in black on the lower left corner: “Juan Gris 8-1915.”
Juan Gris, Fantômas, 1915, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Fund, 1976.59.1

Fantômas

Juan Gris · 1915 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1976.59.1

A profusion of flowers in shades of white, orange, blue, and deep pink, with earthy-green leaves, burst from the narrow opening of a glass vase in this vertical still life painting. Shown against a dark brown background, the vase sits on a caramel-brown ledge. The flowers in the center of the arrangement draw the eye. On our right two tulips are streaked with cream white and dark pink. A flower above it, perhaps an anemone, has white ruffled petals with flame-red tips around a denim-blue center. A small snail in a rust-orange shell rests on a curling green leaf nearby. On our left is a partly opened tulip with scarlet-red streaks next to an ivory-white hydrangea with clusters of tiny petals. Trumpet-shaped, sea-blue morning glories and an amber-orange bloom surround the white hydrangea. The top third of the arrangement has a tall, white peony with feathery petals at the center. Queen Anne’s lace nestles alongside small blooms in muted purples and blues, sage-green peapods, and a carrot-orange flower that resembles a daisy. A slender stalk of wheat extends off the right side while another bends to meet the ledge. The lower third of the arrangement is filled with pink roses, more green pea pods, two closed, plum-purple flowers, and another feathery peony, this one crimson red, which droops to meet the ledge near the bottom right corner of the painting. A few blackberries lie on the ledge nearby. Leaves in various sizes and shades of green fill in among the blooms. More insects and creatures are scattered throughout the composition. For example, a caterpillar clings to the underside of the white peony at the top while a brown and black butterfly flies toward it. A bee sits on the white and red anemone, and a snail, salamander, and spider gather on the ledge to the left of the vase. Stems and the water line are visible within the glass vase, which swells from a narrow opening into a wide base. Panes of a window off to our left reflects in the belly of the vase. The artist signed the front face of the ledge near the lower left: “J.D. De Heem f.”
Jan Davidsz de Heem, Vase of Flowers, c. 1660, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1961.6.1

Vase of Flowers

Jan Davidsz de Heem · c. 1660 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1961.6.1

A narrow strip of beach and then a vivid turquoise stretch of water give way to a towering, hazy sky in this square landscape painting. The beach is painted with strokes of tan and peachy brown and skimmed with dark brown or black to create the impression of rocks or shells. The water extends to the horizon, which comes a quarter of the way up this composition, in shades of topaz and powder blue. Piles of fluffy clouds above are painted with loose strokes of cotton and gossamer white, creating a soft, blurred look. The artist signed and dated the canvas in the lower left corner with red paint, “’66 Gustave Courbet.”
Gustave Courbet, Calm Sea, 1866, oil on canvas, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1985.64.10

Calm Sea

Gustave Courbet · 1866 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1985.64.10

The image depicts a person standing on one leg with the other leg bent and slightly raised. The individual has one hand resting across the chest, and the head is tilted downward. The facial features are soft, with a serene expression, and the hair is curly, framing the face delicately. The person is not wearing any clothing. The background consists of a textured, somewhat indistinct environment, with darker shading around the figure, possibly representing foliage or abstract forms against a light-colored canvas. The image has a monochromatic appearance, executed in shades of gray on a bluish-gray paper.
Pierre Paul Prud'hon, Adonis, c. 1810-1812, black chalk with white chalk heightening on blue paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1972.48.1

Adonis

Pierre Paul Prud'hon · c. 1810-1812 · black chalk with white chalk heightening on blue paper ·  Accession ID  1972.48.1

Pierre Paul Prud'hon, Venus, c. 1810-1812, black chalk with white chalk heightening on blue-gray paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1972.48.2

Venus

Pierre Paul Prud'hon · c. 1810-1812 · black chalk with white chalk heightening on blue-gray paper ·  Accession ID  1972.48.2

We look slightly down onto a silvery-gray beach nestled in a hilly, curving coastline to our right in this horizontal landscape painting. A flat expanse of beach stretches in front of us to meet the water to our left. The horizon comes about halfway up the composition, and the sky above is nearly filled with heather-gray and white clouds, with only a few patches of light blue sky. Several earth-brown and black boats are pulled up onto the beach, to our left. A few poles and one anchor lie among them. A single, light gray and white pole lies perpendicular to the rest, coming toward us in the sand, higher up on the beach. Along the beach, beyond these boats, a man stands next to a woman holding a baby. The man wears an aquamarine-blue shirt and black pants and cap, and the woman wears a dress with a gray shirt and black skirt, partially covered by a cream-white apron. Several other adults and children stand and sit near boats to either side of the pair. The people are loosely painted, with only a few swipes and touches of paint, so details are indistinct. To our right, moss-green and camel-brown dunes rise from the beach, which lead to higher hills along the shoreline. The beach curves away from us to our right and then back out to our left, like a backward C. A sailboat with a fawn-brown sail sits along the beach at the curve, in the distance. A few buildings, painted with gray, yellow, red, and navy blue perch atop some hills, and more are suggested with dabs and strokes of slate blue and parchment white in the valley between hills. Farthest from us, the land rises to a high, long, flat promontory that extends about two-thirds of the way across the painting. The water in the bay is frosty, seafoam green, and a few strokes of white along the shore suggest waves. The water’s surface is mostly flat with a couple small, ink-black boats floating near the left edge and more along the horizon. The artist signed the work in brown paint in the lower right corner, “Claude Monet.”
Claude Monet, Sainte-Adresse, 1867, oil on canvas, Gift of Catherine Gamble Curran and Family, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1990.59.1

Sainte-Adresse

Claude Monet · 1867 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1990.59.1

Paul Cezanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen beyond the Wall of the Jas de Bouffan, c. 1885/1888, watercolor and graphite on laid paper, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1985.64.82

Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen beyond the Wall of the Jas de Bouffan

Paul Cezanne · c. 1885/1888 · watercolor and graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1985.64.82

This painting shows a woman sitting, her body facing the left and her head turned to look at us, with one arm resting on a wooden surface on the right. She has dark hair partially covered by a bright yellow scarf or cap, light skin, deep-set eyes, pale eyebrows, and thin lips set in a neutral expression. She wears a white blouse with wide sleeves that is partially covered by a black bodice with a wide red neckline. Her skirt is black, although in the front she appears to be covered by a blanket or apron with colorful abstract designs in red, tan, and green, with some horizontal black stripes. She also wears large silver hoop earrings, multiple silver necklaces, and a silver ring on her hand. The background is a blend of muted green and brown tones, with a hint of pale blue in the upper left corner.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Italian Woman (La Morieri), c. 1872, oil on canvas, Gift of the Avalon Foundation, 1954.6.1

Italian Woman (La Morieri)

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot · c. 1872 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1954.6.1

A bearded man with copper-blond hair and flushed, peachy skin stands on a stone-gray pedestal and gestures toward a group of five more men gathered before him in this square painting. Some of the men are light-skinned, others are tan. The man on the platform, Decius Mus, stands with his ruddy face turned to our right in profile, his muscular right arm raised and right foot extended. He wears a knee-length toga, and form-fitting armor covers his torso. A sword hangs from his waist, and a scarlet-red cape flaps behind him. Piled against the pedestal in the lower left are spears, battle axes, a silvery-gray shield covered with gold lightning bolts, and an ornate crested helmet. In the upper left corner, an eagle with one wing extended hovers behind Decius Mus’s head, clutching long peach and straw-colored strands in its talons. The other five men stand clustered together on the ground to our right, facing Decius Mus. They are also bearded and muscular, and each holds a golden staff topped with a different symbol. They wear knee-length tunics and cloaks in brick red, olive green, black, or tan, and three wear armor protecting their upper bodies. Calf-high, brown boots cover their feet but leave their toes exposed. The man closest to us has gray hair and stands with his back to us. A parchment-brown animal skin speckled with brown spots covers the back of his head and wraps around his armor and tunic. The man just beyond him, to our left, faces us and holds a gold staff topped with an eagle set within a round laurel wreath. The rest of the men stand in profile, filling the right side of the composition, and they lean in toward Decius Mus. Two of them wear crested helmets, one olive green, the other charcoal gray, both with gold ornamentation on the front. The man in the gray helmet holds aloft a flag painted with vertical swipes of scarlet red and ginger brown. A sketchily painted landscape beyond the group has trees with dark brown trunks and sage-green leaves along the left edge, leading back to a line of trees in the distance. Rolling, teal-blue land along the horizon could be hazy mountains. The powder-blue sky above is scattered with butter-yellow and light gray clouds. The scene is loosely painted, especially in the costumes and background.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Decius Mus Addressing the Legions, probably 1616, oil on hardboard, transferred from wood and canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1957.14.2

Decius Mus Addressing the Legions

Sir Peter Paul Rubens · probably 1616 · oil on hardboard, transferred from wood and canvas ·  Accession ID  1957.14.2

Bibliography

1972

  • Nathan, Peter. Dr. Fritz Nathan und Dr. Peter Nathan: 1922-1972 Zurich, 1972: 7-14.

1988

  • Pratt, Véronique. Chefs-d'oeuvre secrets des grandes collections privées. Paris, 1988:150-152

2001

  • Francini, Esther Tisa, Anja Heuss and George Kries. Fluchtgut-Raubgut: Der Transker von Kulturgütern in und über die Schweiz 1933-1945 und die Frage der Restitution. Zurich, 2001:108-115