From Berlin to Broadway The Ebb Bequest of Modern German and Austrian Drawings,
an extraordinary collection of forty-three early-twentieth-century German
and Austrian drawings by some of the leaders of the German expressionist
movement and the Vienna Secession was on view at The Morgan
Library & Museum, April 20 through September 2, 2007.
The exhibition was drawn from a collection formed by Broadway lyricist Fred
Ebb (1928–2004) and includes drawings by Max Beckmann (1884–1950),
Egon Schiele (1890–1918), Otto Dix (1891–1969), George Grosz (1893–
1959), Oskar Kokoschka (1886–1980), and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880–
1938). In total, twenty-two artists from the period are represented in the Ebb
collection, which was shown in its entirety. (See checklist below)
Most of the drawings and watercolors date from 1910 to 1925, when
expressionism dominated the avant-garde in Germany and Austria.
The earliest work in the exhibition is a moving depiction of an old peasant
woman by Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907). Executed ca. 1899, it
continues to reflect the realist tendencies of the second half of the
nineteenth century.
A humorous drawing by Karl Hubbuch (1891–1979), entitled
The Film Star Spends Two Minutes in Her Parents’ Garden,
was also on view.
A particular strength of the Ebb collection is its large number of portraits,
including a powerful self-portrait of Erich Heckel (1883–1970) in his studio
(1912)
and another by Schiele (1910) in which the disembodied head of the
artist, with typically tormented features, seems to be floating in a dramatic,
spare composition. The largest number of works by a single artist in the Ebb
bequest is the eight drawings by Schiele, four of which are portraits. They
display the tense poses characteristic of the artist.
Other important figuralcompositions in the exhibition included the social and political satires of Grosz and
Dix, whose Pimp and Girl (1923)
is a vivid example of thecombination of violence and eroticism frequently found in his depictions of the seamier side of urban life.
Otto Dix: We Want Bread (1923)
Egon Schiele: Standing Boy with Hands on Chest (1910)
Egon Schiele: Portrait of a young man (Erich Lederer)(1913)
From a fascinating article on Kander and Ebb's "Cabaret":
From the German Expressionist collection of Cabaret's lyricist, Fred Ebb, Emil Nolde's watercolor depicting a Master of Ceremonies -
"Conferencier" ca. 1910-1911, one of Nolde's theater, masked balls, and cabaret works of art depicting actors, singers, dancers, and spectators. Nolde remarked: "I drew and drew, the light of the rooms, the superficial glamour, all the people, whether bad or good, whether half or fully ruined. I drew this 'other side' of life with its makeup, its sparkling, dirt, and its corruption." (Quoted from: From Berlin to Broadway: The Ebb Bequest of Modern German and Austrian Drawings, by Isabelle Dervaux, Forewords by Charles E. Pierce, Jr. and John Kander, New York: The Morgan Library & Museum, 2007, 72).
Great Must-Read Review:
http://www.galleryandstudiomagazine.com/gsinterview17.htm
More Commentary:
http://www.artezine.com/archive/14/bb.html
Organization
The exhibition was organized by Isabelle Dervaux, Curator of Modern and
Contemporary Drawings, The Morgan Library & Museum.
Catalogue In conjunction with the exhibition, the Morgan will publish a fully
illustrated catalogue that documents the entire bequest. This publication,
which also includes reminiscences of Fred Ebb by John Kander and an
introduction by Isabelle Dervaux, will be an important contribution to the
literature on German and Austrian expressionism.
Checklist
MAX BECKMANN (Leipzig 1884–1950 New York)
1. The Telephone, 1945
Pen and ink over traces of graphite pencil on laid paper
14 1/8 x 13 3/8 inches (359 x 340 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.123
2. Woman with Cigarette, 1946
Graphite pencil on wove paper
12 1/8 x 9 3/8inches (307 x 239 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.124
3. Nightclub in New York, 1947
Pen and ink and watercolor on laid paper
10 1/4 x 14 5/16 inches (260 x 363 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.122
OTTO DIX (Untermhaus, near Gera, 1891–1969 Singen)
4. We Want Bread!, 1923
India ink over traces of graphite pencil on wove paper
15 1/4 x 16 3/4 inches (387 x 426 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.125
5. Pimp and Girl, 1923
Brush and India ink and watercolor on tracing paper
20 1/4 x 15 inches (515 x 382 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.126
6. Reclining Woman, 1928
Watercolor and black chalk on wove rag paper
19 x 24 inches (484 x 610 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.127
LYONEL FEININGER
(New York 1871–1956 New York)
7. Railroad Workers II, 1915
Pen and ink, black chalk and watercolor on laid paper
9 3/8 x 12 1/4 inches (240 x 312 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.128
GEORGE GROSZ (Berlin 1893–1959 Berlin)
8. Cuckoo and Parrot: Costume Studies for “Methusalem”, 1922
Pen and ink and watercolor on wove paper
13 x 19 1/2 inches (331 x 495 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.130
9. Barberina, 1925
Watercolor on wove paper
25 1/2 x 37 1/4 inches (647 x 948 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.131
10. Musicians, 1932
Watercolor, gouache and oil paint on laid paper
26 1/4 x 19 inches (666 x 483 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.129
ERICH HECKEL (Döbeln, near Dresden 1883–1970 Radolfzell, on Lake Constance)
11. Seated Man (Self-Portrait), 1912
Oil over traces of graphite pencil on laid paper
23 3/8 x 17 7/8 inches (594 x 454 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.134
12. Half–Length Portrait of a Woman, 1913/14
Charcoal pencil on laid paper
22 5/8 x 15 1/4 inches (575 x 388 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.133
13. Kneeling Nude, 1914
Graphite pencil and gouache on wove paper
20 x 14 1/4 inches (510 x 360 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.132
KARL HOFER (Karlsruhe 1878–1955 Berlin)
14. Girl Resting, 1920s
Graphite pencil on wove paper
14 1/4 x 20 1/8 inches (363 x 511 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.135
KARL HUBBUCH (Karlsruhe1891–1979 Karlsruhe)
15. The Film Star Spends Two Minutes in her Parents’ Garden, ca.1932
Reed pen and India ink heightened with white on wove paper
25 1/4 x 20 7/8 inches (640 x 531 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.136
ALEXEI JAWLENSKY (Torzhok, Russia 1864–1941 Wiesbaden)
16. Savior’s Face with Open Eyes, 1923
Watercolor on wove paper
9 3/4 x 7 inches (250 x 177 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.137
ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER (Aschaffenburg 1880–1938 Frauenkirch)
17. Interior with Two Women at a Table, ca. 1910/11
Graphite pencil and stumping on brown wove paper
13 3/8 x 17 1/8 inches (340 x 435 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.138
18. Figures on a Busy Street, 1914
India ink, watercolor, gouache, and reed pen on wove paper
12 3/8 x 16 1/2 inches (313 x 420 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.140
19. Street Scene in Switzerland, ca. 1918
Colored pencils on wove paper
8 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches (218 x 157 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.139
GUSTAV KLIMT (Baumgarten, near Vienna 1862–1918 Vienna)
20. Seated Nude, ca.1907
Blue pencil on Japan paper
22 x 14 1/2 inches (559 x 368 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.141
21. Seated Woman with Raised Skirt, ca. 1909–10
Graphite pencil on wove paper
22 1/8 x 14 5/8 inches (561 x 371 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.142
OSKAR KOKOSCHKA (Pöchlarn, Lower Austria, 1886–1980 Montreux)
22. Reclining Female Nude, ca. 1911–12
Black chalk and watercolor on wove paper
12 7/8 x 17 5/8 inches (328 x 448 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.143
ALFRED KUBIN
(Leitmeritz, northern Bohemia [now Litomerice, Czech Republic], 1877–1959 Schloss Zwickledt,
near Wernstein)
23. Rheumatics, 1927
Pen and ink on laid paper
15 3/8 x 12 1/2 inches (392 x 317 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.144
JEANNE MAMMEN
(Berlin 1890–1976 Berlin)
24. The Joy of Nature, ca. 1930
Graphite pencil and watercolor on wove paper
17 x 14 1/8 inches (432 x 358 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.145
25. Café Reimann, ca. 1931
Graphite pencil and watercolor on rag paper
18 x 14 1/4 inches (455 x 363 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.146
LUDWIG MEIDNER
(Bernstadt, Prussia [now Germany], 1884–1966 Darmstadt)
26. Self–Portrait, 1912
India ink applied by brush and reed pen on wove paper
17 3/8 x 13 3/8 inches (442 x 340 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.147
PAULA MODERSOHN–BECKER
(Dresden 1876–1907 Worpswede)
27. Half–Length Portrait of a Peasant Woman, ca.1899
Charcoal and colored chalks on wove paper
25 3/8 x 14 1/4 inches (644 x 361 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.148
OTTO MUELLER (Liebau, Silesia [now Libawka, Poland], 1874–1930 Breslau [now Wroclaw, Poland])
28. Landscape with Trees and Water, ca. 1923
Colored chalks and gouache on wove paper
27 3/4 x 19 3/4 inches (704 x 503 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.149
29. Standing Female Nude, ca. 1927
Blue crayon on wove paper
26 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches (675 x 503 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.150
EMIL NOLDE (Nolde 1867–1956 Seebüll)
30. Conferencier, ca. 1910–11
Brush with ink and watercolor on Japan paper
11 1/2 x 5 7/8 inches (292 x 150 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.151
MAX PECHSTEIN (Eckersbach, Zwickau, 1881–1955 Berlin)
31. Kneeling Woman, 1909
Gouache on wove paper
20 7/8 x 16 1/4 inches (530 x 414 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.152
CHRISTIAN ROHLFS (Niendorf, Holstein, 1849–1938 Hagen)
32. Conversation, 1914
Gouache and pen and ink on laid paper
8 1/2 x 10 5/8 inches (216 x 269 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.153
33. Portrait of a Man with a Dog, 1924
Watercolor and gouache on wove paper
20 3/8 x 12 3/4 inches (518 x 323 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.154
EGON SCHIELE (Tulln 1890–1918 Vienna)
34. Young Woman, Seated, 1908
Graphite pencil and colored pencil on wove paper
12 3/8 x 8 3/4 inches (315 x 224 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.155
35. Seated Woman with Clasped Hands, 1908
Graphite pencil on wove paper
15 3/4 x 11 7/8 inches (402 x 300 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.157
36. Portrait of the Artist’s Sister Gerti, 1909
Graphite pencil and colored crayon on wove paper
12 3/8 x 7 7/8 inches (313 x 201 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.156
37. Self–Portrait, 1910
Black chalk and watercolor on brown paper
17 1/4 x 12 inches (438 x 304 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.162
38. Standing Boy with Hands on Chest, 1910
Watercolor and black chalk on brown paper
17 5/8 x 12 1/2 inches (448 x 318 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.159
39. Frau Dr. H[orwitz], 1910
Colored pencil, gouache and watercolor on brown paper
17 1/2 x 12 inches (444 x 304 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.158
40. Portrait of a Young Man (Erich Lederer), 1913
Charcoal on wove paper
17 3/8 x 10 3/4 inches (441 x 272 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.161
41. Embrace, 1914
Graphite pencil on wove paper
19 1/8 x 12 3/4 inches (485 x 323 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.160
RUDOLF SCHLICHTER (Calw, Baden–Württemburg, 1890–1955 Munich)
42. Neapolitan Street, ca.1922
Graphite pencil and watercolor on wove paper
18 7/8 x 12 3/4 inches (480 x 324 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.163
KARL SCHMIDT–ROTTLUFF (Rottluff, near Chemnitz, 1884–1976 Berlin)
43. Seated Nude, ca. 1915
Watercolor on laid paper
19 7/8 x 15 7/8 inches (503 x 404 mm)
Bequest of Fred Ebb, 2005.164