The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam: Free Period in the Amsterdam Orphanage, Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann
The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam: Free Period in the Amsterdam Orphanage
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Max Liebermann

The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam: Free Period in the Amsterdam Orphanage, 1881 – 1882


Dimensions
78.5 x 107.5 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
1351
Acquisition
Acquired in 1900, stolen 1945 at the external storage, reacquired 1964, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.
Status
On display, 1st upper level, Modern Art, room 5

Texts

About the Work

Conservative circles taunted Liebermann as the “apostle of ugliness”. Nevertheless, the Städelscher Museums-Verein showed courage and providence when it acquired this early key work immediately after it was founded in 1899. Liebermann had sketched the inmates of the ‘Burgerweeshuis’ in Amsterdam. It was only later that he executed the oil painting in his Munich studio. This work was created at a turning point, when Liebermann left behind the shades of brown of his realist phase and adopted the lighter palette of Impressionism.

About the Acquisition

Under the direction of the influential figure Leopold Sonnemann, a member of the Reichstag and the founder and owner of the 'Frankfurter Zeitung', the Städelscher Museums-Verein was established in 1899 as an institution for the collective furtherance of art. The eighty-odd members of the society celebrated their first purchase in 1900 with the acquisition of Max Liebermann's painting 'The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam', which was the subject of lively controversy at the time. The Berlin artist was the main representative of German Impressionism and hence in opposition to the imperial concept of art, which was reflected in battle scenes and public victory monuments. But the painting also met with rejection within the ranks of the society. Sonnemann reacted promptly: he undertook to pay part of the purchase price himself and at the same time threatened to resign. In view of this radical step, people backed down and the modern age entered the museum in the form of this painting.

Audio & Video

  • Basic information
    01:12
  • Focus on Frankfurt
    01:43
  • Highlights of the Städel Collection
    02:34
  • Kunst|Stück – Dialog der Meisterwerke: Kunst der Moderne
    In unserem Kunst|Stück zur Ausstellung "Dialog der Meisterwerke. Hoher Besuch zum Jubiläum" treffen vier verschiedene Gemälde von Max Liebermann (1847–1935) aufeinander, die sich alle einem gemeinsamen Bildmotiv widmen: der Darstellung von arbeitenden Näherinnen im Waisenhaus von Amsterdam, das Max Liebermann selbst mehrmals besuchte, um das dortige Leben als Motiv für diese Ölgemälde zu studieren. Entdecken Sie in rund zwei Minuten spannende Details zu den vier Kunstwerken aus ungewöhnlichen Blickwinkeln. Dialog der Meisterwerke. Hoher Besuch zum Jubiläum (7. Oktober 2015 bis 24. Januar 2016): http://www.staedelmuseum.de/de/ausstellungen/dialog-der-meisterwerke#yt Die Ausstellung „Dialog der Meisterwerke. Hoher Besuch zum Jubiläum“ wurde gefördert durch die DZ Bank als Corporate Sponsor und die Förderer Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain gGmbH, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne sowie der Kulturstiftung der Länder. -------------------------- Für Untertitel klicken Sie bitte auf das Untertitel-Symbol am rechten unteren Rand des Videos. / For subtitles please click the captions icon at the bottom of the video.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
The Courtyard of the Orphanage in Amsterdam: Free Period in the Amsterdam Orphanage
Painter
Production Place
Period Produced
School
Object Type
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Material
Technique
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Signiert unten rechts: M. Lieberman
Work Catalogues
  • Eberle 1882/1

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.
Picture Copyright
Public Domain
Acquisition
Acquired in 1900, stolen 1945 at the external storage, reacquired 1964, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre
Main Motif
Associated Persons and Institutions

Iconclass

Primary
Secondary
  • 41A51 courtyard
  • 41D443 (other forms of) needlework, e.g.: crocheting, knitting, embroidering
  • 41D2(+82) clothes, costume (+ women's clothes)

Podcasts

Research and Discussion

Provenance

Object History
Erworben aus der Ausstellung des Pariser Salon von Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914), Paris, Mai 1882 (Nr. 1679)
in Kommission an Paul Durand-Ruel, Paris, ca. 1897
verkauft an Paul Cassirer, Berlin, 1899
verkauft an den Städelschen Museums-Verein e.V., Frankfurrt am Main,, 9. März 1900
Verlust am Auslagerungsort Amorbach, April 1945
...
Rückerwerbung durch den Städelschen Museums-Verein e.V., Frankfurt am Main, 1964.

Information

Since 2001, the Städel Museum has systematically been researching the provenance of all objects that were acquired during the National Socialist period, or that changed owners or could have changed owners during those years. The basis for this research is the “Washington Declaration”, also known as the “Washington Conference Principles”, formulated at the 1998 “Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets” and the subsequent “Joint Declaration”.

The provenance information is based on the sources researched at the time they were published digitally. However, this information can change at any time when new sources are discovered. Provenance research is therefore a continuous process and one that is updated at regular intervals.

Ideally, the provenance information documents an object’s origins from the time it was created until the date when it found its way into the collection. It contains the following details, provided they are known:

  • the type of acquisition and/or the way the object changed hands
  • the owner's name and place of residence
  • the date on which it changed hands

The successive ownership records are separated from each other by a semicolon.

Gaps in the record of a provenance are indicated by the placeholder “…”. Unsupported information is listed in square brackets.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the museum at .

Conservation and Restoration

Art-technology findings and/or documentation regarding conservation and restoration are available for this work. If interested, please contact .

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Last update

25.04.2024