The Thistle Flower House, Paul Klee
Paul Klee
The Thistle Flower House
DE
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Paul Klee

The Thistle Flower House, 1919


Dimensions
34.5 x 29.5 cm
Physical Description
Oil on cardboard
Inventory Number
SG 1207
Acquisition
Acquired in 1961
Status
On display, 1st upper level, Modern Art, room 7

Texts

About the Work

Klee created this painting the same year he had finally been discharged from military service in the First World War. He settled in Munich and, for the first time, was intent on painting only in oil. Therein, plant and garden motifs played an important role. Klee gave his works poetic, enigmatic titles that went well with his playful painting style. He used them to steer the viewers’ perception of his art into a certain direction. In this case, the thistle hovering above the mysterious building as a symbol of Christ’s suffering is reminiscent of medieval art – which Klee had studied in much detail.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
The Thistle Flower House
Painter
Period Produced
Object Type
Physical Description
Oil on cardboard
Material
Technique
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Signiert und datiert am linken Bildrand mittig: Klee 1919 175.

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Picture Copyright
Public Domain
Acquisition
Acquired in 1961

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre
Main Motif
Associated Persons and Institutions

Iconclass

Primary
Secondary

Research and Discussion

Provenance

Object History
Galerie Hans Goltz, München, Oktober-Dezember 1920
[Galerie Flechtheim, Düsseldorf]
Paul Multhaupt (1884-1933), Düsseldorf, seit mindestens 1921
Ella (Lilly) Lange (1896-1989), Duisburg u.a., seit mindestens ca. 1927
vermutlich Kommission an Galerie Irmgard Burchard Tableaux, Zürich, ca. 1937, unverkauft
zurück an Ella Lange, ca. 1939 oder später
verkauft an die Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt am Main, Juni 1961.

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.

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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