Franz Radziwill (1895-1983)
Lot 405 Art historian, poet and intellectual, Wilhelm Niemeyer was a formidable force within the milieu of the German Avant-Garde in Hamburg. The son of a pastor, Niemeyer was born in Thuringia and went on to pursue his studies in Heidelberg where he read Philosophy, History of Art and History, subsequently pursuing his doctorate in Leipzig which he was awarded in 1903.

Niemeyer would go on to hold academic posts in at the School of Applied Arts in Dusseldorf, thence to Gottingen and Wroclaw, where he pursued a professorship in 1885, later travelling to Florence, where he worked with the Kunsthistorisches Institute. A crucial champion and fierce defender of the German Expressionist movement, Niemeyer was a crucial patron to Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and subsequently, Franz Radziwill.

Christie’s is honoured to present these two exceptional examples from Dr Niemeyer’s collection which have remained within the family since his ownership. These exceptional pieces attest not only to Niemeyer’s critical eye but his friendships and the fierce support he showed for the artists of his time.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF DR WILHELM NIEMEYER, HAMBURG

Franz Radziwill (1895-1983)

Die Dresdner Oper

Closed6 February 2020

Price Realised

GBP 85,000

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Franz Radziwill (1895-1983)
Die Dresdner Oper
signed 'Franz Radziwill' (lower left)
oil on canvas
25 5/8 x 28 ¾ in. (65.1 x 98.5 cm.)
Painted in 1930

Dr Wilhelm Niemeyer, by whom acquired directly from the artist, and thence by descent to the present owner.