861/​925

Per Kirkeby (b. Copenhagen 1938, d. s.p. 2018)

Untitled, Læsø 1995. Signed and dated on the reverse. Oil on canvas. 200×220 cm.

The painting will be included in a future third and final volume of Ane Hejlskov Larsen's catalogue raisonné of Per Kirkeby's works, covering the period 1990–2015.

Registered in the Archive of Galerie Michael Werner, Cologne, as no. PK 765.

Literature: Poul Erik Tøjner: “Per Kirkeby - Maleri” (Per Kirkeby - Painting), Copenhagen, 1998, ill. full page in colours p. 69. Exhibited: “Per Kirkeby - Nye Malerier” (Per Kirkeby - New Paintings), Galleri Susanne Ottesen, Copenhagen, 1995. Provenance: Galleri Susanne Ottesen, Copenhagen. Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.

The painting was exhibited in 1995 at Galleri Susanne Ottesen together with the major work “Uden titel (Vinterbillede)” (Untitled - Winter painting) (1995, 300×550 cm.), which now belongs to the National Gallery of Denmark. The creation of that painting is documented in Jesper Jargil’s award-winning documentary “Vinterbillede” (Winter painting) from 1996.

In relation to “Winter painting” the work up for auction is - with its golden colour scheme - an autumn painting. The work is characterized by the same slow, searching and layer-upon-layer work process as seen in the documentary, where the artist over many months goes to and from the canvas in a combination of breaking down and building up the subject matter of the painting. In his painting process Per Kirkeby deliberately obstructs himself by placing in the painting colours or figurations he initially finds ugly, too obvious or too banally beautiful. These are elements that irritate him, provide resistance and must be overcome through the painting process; before he can reach the image he did not know in advance was there. In the film he says about his method: “(...) You have to start somewhere. And you cannot get the condensation and the fierceness and the gnawing and the acidity free of charge”. The duality of Per Kirkeby's work process and his themes during this period – perishableness versus emergence – mimics the cycle of natural decay and growth. The painting is naturalistic; it has obvious landscape references - just not in a lifelike or illusionistic way.

This lot is subject to Artist's Royalty.
Additional Remarks

Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.

Auction

Modern paintings & sculptures, 1 December 2015

Category
Estimate

800,000–1,000,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

1,600,000 DKK