Fondazione Marianne Werefkin

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Marianne von Werefkin: Autumn (School) , 1907, Fondazione Marianne Werefkin

The Fondazione Marianne Werefkin (abbreviated FMW ) is the name for the estate of the Russian painter Marianne von Werefkin . The Fondazione Marianne Werefkin was established in Ascona in 1939, one year after the artist's death. The Fondazione Marianne Werefkin has donated around 100 paintings, 170 sketchbooks, hundreds of drawings and written documents.

The collection is kept and scientifically looked after in the Museo comunale d'arte moderna in Ascona .

History of the collection

The establishment of the Museo comunale di Ascona

The beginnings of the Werefkin Foundation, the Fondazione Marianne Werefkin, in Ascona go back to 1922. At that time, on March 19, the “Museo comunale di Ascona” was opened. The first art collection came together through the initiative of the painter Ernst Kempter (1891–1958) and the Russian painter Marianne von Werefkin . All artists living in the region were asked to donate a work of art to the community. These works should form the basis of the museum collection. Almost 50 artists responded to the call. Among them was Werefkin, who had lived as a penniless and stateless emigrant in the fishing village on Lake Maggiore since 1918 . As idealistic as she was, she gave not only five pictures of her own, but also works by colleagues, a sketch by Cuno Amiet , Alexej Jawlensky's picture Mystical Head: Girl's Head , Paul Klee's picture Casa Rossa , and by Arthur Segal La Famiglia .

In 1924 Werefkin once again influenced Ascona's cultural concerns by founding the artists' association “ The Great Bear ”  , named after the constellation of the same name, with six other painters . The group members were Ernst Frick , Walter Helbig , Albert Kohler , Gordon Mallet McCouch , Otto Niemeyer-Holstein and Otto van Rees . “The Great Bear” was in existence until 1941. The artists exhibited under this name in Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen and in 1928 in Berlin.

Almost a year before her death, Werefkin turned to her Zurich friend Diego Hagmann worried and expressed the "wish to bring the pictures she had posted in Munich to Switzerland", because she had heard about the traveling exhibition Degenerate Art , which was organized by the National Socialists in Germany had been initiated.

Shortly before her death, Werefkin decided to bequeath her artistic estate, some of which was still with a forwarding agency in Munich , to her Berlin friend Ernst Alfred Aye (1878–1947). That emerges from the files of a legal dispute. According to this, Aye had succeeded in 1937 in bringing Werefkin's pictures from the Munich depot to his apartment in Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin .

Werefkin died on March 6, 1938, who had previously identified herself as a Russian in exile with a Nansen passport and had never become Swiss. A report by a friend of Paul Klee and his wife Lily about Werefkin's funeral on February 8, 1938 shows what was generally known about her estate at that time: “There was a solemn funeral. The brother Pierre von Werefkin and the two nieces [Maria and Anastasia von Werefkin] were there, as well as her master and friend from Zurich [Diego Hagmann] ... Her artistic estate, which she bequeathed to her friend Aye, is owned by a Zurich gentleman [Fritz Stöckli (1903–1970)] and perhaps offered for sale… ”Werefkin had appointed Aye as heir so that he“ could live carefree in old age. ”Aye soon gave his Werefkin inheritance to Fritz Stöckli in Basel , before the Nazis could be discovered or destroyed by bombs in Berlin.

Establishment of the foundation

Shortly after Werefkin's funeral, the idea of ​​setting up a Werefkin Museum in the "Casa Perucchi", in the room where Werefkin had last lived, was born. The rent should be "around 500" francs per year. Only then did Stöckli, one of Werefkin's “Seven Dwarfs”, come up with the idea of ​​setting up a Werefkin Foundation. On May 15, 1938, Stöckli wrote that he was "currently editing the foundation charter ... nothing stands in the way of its establishment."

On February 6, 1939, an FMW was established with its headquarters in Ascona, which, although "properly notarized by the notary Attilio Zanolini in Locarno, has not yet been entered in the commercial register." Fritz Stöckli was appointed president of the FMW. The Board of Trustees included: Peter von Werefkin (1861–1946) (brother of Marianne von Werefkin, Utena, Lithuania, who was to be represented by Rosetta Perucchi, Ascona, without further inquiry), furthermore Dr. Bruno Weil (Zurich) and Anni Mueller-Gallmann (Lenzburg). The purpose of the FMW was "to preserve and protect the artistic work of Marianne von Werefkin". Just a month later, Peter von Werefkin intended to delegate his position as a member of the board of trustees to his daughter Maria.

When the Second World War broke out on September 1, 1939 , the activities of the FMW initially only apparently ceased. Less than a year later, a “Werefkin Museum” was set up in the “Casa Perucchi” and opened on Whitsun Sunday, May 12, 1940. The President of the FMW let the press spread: “A young friend Marianne v. Werefkins, Fritz Stöckli in Zurich, became the heir to their artistic and literary legacy. ”He made more than 60 pictures, 170 sketchbooks and 30 diaries available as exhibits. The report on the museum, which was opened in 1940, in the magazine "SIE UND ER", illustrated with four photos, is of great interest to Alexej von Jawlensky researcher, because one of the photos shows two oil paintings by Jawlensky that are actually part of the FMW's holdings today would have to. One is a still life. It is titled Colorful Flowers . It is signed 'A. Jawlensky ”and dated“ [19] 15 ”. The other painting is a portrait titled Girl from St. Prex , “c. 1916 ”is dated. It is noticeable that both images do not appear in the FMW inventory lists from 1946 or 1962, but later they were auctioned or sold several times in Switzerland, Germany, England and America.

In 1942 a sales exhibition took place in the gallery of Mrs. Chichio Haller in Zurich . The following Werefkin works were offered: “A few dozen of their sketchbooks”. and paintings u. a. Autumn / School , Jarnaskoje , which today are among the top pictures of the FMW.

From 1946 there is a list of the FMW, which lists 62 Werefkin paintings that were intended for sale. This included B. also Die Landstrasse , one of today's showcase pictures of the FMW. 31 paintings on this list are not in the FMW's inventory today.

On the occasion of Werefkin's 10th anniversary of his death, the Kunstsalon Rohr, Neuengasse 28, held a Werefkin sales exhibition in Bern with a “collection of around 50 numbers.” It is not known whether or which pictures were sold at the time.

The then stateless nephew Werefkins, Alexander von Werefkin (1904–1982), had a lawyer inquire with the President of the FMW in 1949 which legacies of his aunt were where. He then promised his lawyer, Dr. jur. Paul Jenny: "to hand over a list of the existing [artifacts] with details of the storage location with the other documents." When there was no reaction, Alexander von Werefkin and Diego Hagmann together again instructed Jenny in February 1951 to remind the foundation board members that the FMW would always "Has not yet been entered in the commercial register ... Another and most important thing is to take an inventory of the entire artistic estate of Marianne von Werefkin ... Now these things are scattered somewhere and none of you know what is still there." the entry in the commercial register as early as May 26, 1951. A short time later, Jenny was able to announce: "The Board of Trustees will meet after the summer vacation to ... verify the complete list of the existing works and their storage location."

Sales from the estate

More than 10 years should pass before the promised directory was created. Instead, sales exhibitions were arranged. In 1955 one of these took place in the Chichio Haller Gallery in Zurich. “47 works” could be seen, including a. the Francesco cycle , In the cafè , The dancer Sacharoff and the skaters . Fortunately, these paintings were not sold, although an exhibition review said: "It is to be hoped that our museums will also secure some works."

An exhibition in 1958 with the title "Artists from Four Centuries" by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft in the Helmhaus aroused the suspicion of Hagmann, because there were 9 Werefkin pictures by the FMW, such as autumn / school , city ​​in Lithuania (Vievis) , Equipe de nuit or Corpus Christi with the owner's name “Collection F. Stöckli, Basel”.

Hagmann wrote to Clemens Weiler (1909–1982), the first Jawlensky biographer and director of the Museum Wiesbaden , who organized the first solo exhibition for Werefkin in his museum: “At the exhibition in the Helmhaus I noticed that the pictures of Mr. Stöckli as 'Stöckli Collection' were listed. As far as I know, these and other Werefkin pictures are not the personal property of Stöckli. ”A little later, Hagmann turned to Camillo Beretta, an attorney in Locarno, because he suspected that“ Stöckli was selling pictures ”.

Stöckli fulfilled his promise of 1951 to compile a “complete directory” of the Werefkin works with a list dated March 31, 1962. It contains 86 works. 51 of them were intended for sale, marked with an asterisk. 61 pictures from the 86 of the above list are now in the FMW. This also included the so-called at the time. Self-portrait II . This painting escaped sale only because it was not recognized as a work by Jawlensky. It is his oil painting Die Werefkin im Profil , which Jawlensky painted around 1905.

After the list has been handed over, the files remain silent for three years. For further development in the FMW, Dr. Beretta 1965 Hagmann, “that the 'Fondazione Marianne von Werefkin' is now only managed by a 'curatore' (guardian), lawyer Leone Ressiga-Vacchini."

Scientific processing

Two years later, in 1967, the estate, which had been converted into an FMW, was made accessible to the public in the "Casa Don Pietro Pancaldi" in Ascona. In 1976 Bernd Fäthke , curator at the Museum Wiesbaden, was appointed research officer by the President of the FMW, Roberto Simona, for the purpose of "scientific preparation of the artistic material of Marianne Werefkin for publication." In 1980 Fäthke arranged the second solo exhibition for Werefkin at the Museum Wiesbaden . In his catalog contribution he was able to publish for the first time as a research result that Werefkin had had a great influence on the artist group Der Blaue Reiter .

In 1988 Fäthke published the first monograph on Werefkin at Prestel-Verlag on behalf of FMW. As a catalog book, this publication accompanied the first Werefkin traveling exhibition for two years. Her stations were: Ascona, Monte Verità , Museo Comunale d'Arte Moderna , Centro Culturale Beato Berno (August 6 - October 23, 1988); Munich, Villa Stuck (November 10, 1988 - January 15, 1998); Hannover, Kunstverein Hannover (April 29 - July 2, 1989); Berlin, Haus am Waldsee (November 11, 1989 - January 7, 1990); Bad Homburg, Sinclair-Haus , Altana AG (January 23 - March 25, 1990); Hamburg, Batic Gesellschaft für Beteiligungen mbH (April 5 - June 8, 1990).

On behalf of the FMW, Fäthke published a second monograph on Werefkin, which was published in 2001 by Hirmer-Verlag Munich. In 2008 Fäthke wrote an essay that secured the Werefkin artistic superiority in the run-up to the Blauer Reiter over Jawlensky, Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) and Gabriele Münter (1877–1962).

Thanks to donations, the Fondazione Marianne Werefkin has grown to almost 100 paintings today. She also owns 170 sketchbooks and hundreds of drawings. The written literary estate will probably provide sufficient material for later generations to research the Werefkin, "this clever, ingeniously gifted woman"

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Fondazione-Museo Marianne Werefkin in Ascona. In: The art and the beautiful home , 1983, issue 8, p. 539 ff.
  2. ↑ Isabell Fechter: Ascona, magical place on Lake Maggiore. In: Weltkunst , November 1, 2003, p. 1781.
  3. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Werefkin: To association and jury questions. Torso, Association of Berlin Women Artists 1967–2003, Berlin 2003, p. 143.
  4. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Marianne Werefkin. Munich 2001, p. 236, fig. 258.
  5. ^ On June 9, 1937, see Fäthke (4), p. 242.
  6. ↑ Fäthke (4), p. 206 f, fig. 231 and 232.
  7. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: The rebirth of the "Blue Rider Rider" in Berlin. On discrimination against women in art using the example of Marianne Werefkin. In exh. Cat .: Profession without tradition, 125 years of the Association of Berlin Women Artists. Berlinische Galerie, 1992, p. 248.
  8. ↑ Fäthke (4), p. 243, Fig. 263.
  9. ↑ Fäthke (4), p. 244.
  10. ^ Private archive for expressionist painting (PafeM), Wiesbaden, Ernst Alfred Aye to Alexander von Werefkin, letter dated November 1, 1946.
  11. ↑ a b c d Private Archive for Expressionist Painting (PafeM), Wiesbaden, Peter von Werefkin to his daughter Maria, letter of March 11, 1939.
  12. ↑ Curt Riess: Café Odeon, Zurich's meeting place with the world, painter with seven dwarfs. In: Die Weltwoche , October 12, 1956.
  13. ↑ PafeM (10), Fritz Stöckli to Diego Hagmann, Fritz Leuthold and Ms. Dr. Anni Müller-Gallmann, May 15, 1938.
  14. ↑ PafeM (10), Dr. Jur. Paul Jenny to Dr. Anni Müller-Gallmann, Miss. Rosetta Perucchi, Dr. M. Bruno Weil, p. 1.
  15. ↑ Fäthke (4), p. 234, fig. 256.
  16. ↑ Fäthke (4), p. 241, Fig. 262.
  17. ↑ PafeM (10), Fritz Stöckli, statutes of Werefkin Foundation, March 6, 1939th
  18. ^ BW: The Werefkin Museum in Ascona. In: Der Landbote , Winterthur August 2, 1940. Cf. gn Asconeser Mosaik In: Die Tat , September 20, 1940.
  19. ^ Marianne von Werefkin Museum in Ascona. In: SIE UND ER , Zofingen September 14, 1940.
  20. ↑ Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni-Jawlensky and Angelica Jawlensky (eds.): Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalog Raisonné of the oil-paintings. Vol. 2, Munich 1992, No. 741, p. 116.
  21. ↑ Jawlensky (23), No. 792, p. 111 f.
  22. ↑ WJ: The sketch books Marianne v. Werefkins. in: Das Werk , Zurich, April 4, 1942.
  23. ↑ E.Br .: Marianne von Werefkin ,. In: Der Bund , Morgen-Blatt, Bern March 13, 1942.
  24. ^ Fondazione Marianne Werefkin (FMW), Ascon, Inv. No .: FMW-0-0-3.
  25. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-4.
  26. ↑ PafeM (10)
  27. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-5.
  28. ↑ ri. Exhibition Marianne von Werefkin. In: Berner Tagblatt , Bern February 4, 1948. Cf. WG: Exhibition Marianne von Werefkin. In: Bund , Morgen Blatt, Bern February 10, 1948
  29. ↑ PafeM (10), Paul Jenny Alexander von Werefkin, letter of August 20, 1949
  30. ↑ PafeM (10), Dr. Jur. Paul Jenny to Dr. Anni Müller-Gallmann, Miss. Rosetta Perucchi, Dr. M. Bruno Weil, letter of February 26, 1951, p. 1 f.
  31. ↑ Published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce June 2, 1951, No. 126.
  32. ↑ PafeM (10), Dr. Jur.Paul Jenny to Alexander von Werefkin, letter dated July 2, 1951.
  33. ^ MG, Die Weltwoche , Zurich January 28, 1955, see: Die Woche , Olten January 31, 1955
  34. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-74 to 0-0-76.
  35. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-14.
  36. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-15.
  37. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-27.
  38. ^ EW: Art in Zurich, Marianne von Werefkin. In: People's newspaper of the Pfäffikon district , Zurich, February 9, 1955.
  39. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-3.
  40. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-34.
  41. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-57.
  42. ↑ FMW (27), Inv. No .: 0-0-26
  43. ↑ Ursula Isler-Hungerbühler: Artists from four centuries. In: exhib. Cat .: The woman as an artist, works from four centuries. Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, Helmhaus Zurich 1958, p. 19 f.
  44. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: The Jawlensky case. Original copy fake. Part II, In: Weltkunst from August 15, 1998, fig. 47, p. 1519 and fig. 77, p. 1526.
  45. ↑ Clemens Weiler: Marianne von Werefkin. In exh. Cat .: Marianne Werefkin 1860–1938. Municipal Museum Wiesbaden 1958, no p.
  46. ↑ PafeM (10), Diego Hagmann to Dr. Clemens Weiler, letter dated September 7, 1958.
  47. ↑ PafeM (10), Diego Hagmann to Dr. Camillo Beretta, lawyer in Locarno, letter of October 25, 1958.
  48. ↑ Today in the possession of the Collezione comunale, Ascona.
  49. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: The Werefkin in profile. In: exhib. Cat .: Alexej Jawlensky 1864–1941. City Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich 1983, p. 67 ff.
  50. ↑ PafeM (10), Dr. Camillo Beretta to Diego Hagmann, letter of January 26, 1965.
  51. ↑ Tina Stolz: Marianne Werefkin. In: Ferien-Journal Ascona , August 1988, p. 9
  52. ↑ PafeM (10), Roberto Simona, deed of January 1976th
  53. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Marianne Werefkin and her influence on the Blue Rider. In: exhib. Cat .: Marianne Werefkin, paintings and sketches. Museum Wiesbaden, 1980, p. 14 ff.
  54. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Marianne Werefkin, life and work. Munich 1988
  55. ↑ Fäthke (4)
  56. ↑ Bernd Fäthke: Werefkin and Jawlensky with their son Andreas in the "Murnauer Zeit". In: exhib. Cat .: 1908–2008, 100 years ago, Kandinsky, Münter, Jawlensky, Werefkin in Murnau. Murnau 2008, p. 31 ff
  57. ↑ Isabell Fechter: Sternstunden, Murnau 1908/2008 - 100 years ago. In: Weltkunst , 09/2008, p. 96 f.
  58. ↑ Alexej Jawlensky, Memorabilia, Clemens Weiler (ed.): Alexej Jawlensky, Heads - Face - Meditations. Hanau 1970, p. 106.

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