About the Work
Hardly any other German painter concerned himself as intensely with politics and history as Anselm Kiefer. Yet he also drew from the formative sources of the history of ideas – here, for example, the Greek myth of Jason, the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece. Kiefer does not paint in the strict sense, but expands the traditional conception of painting by supplementing his works with layers of materials such as hair, straw or loam. And he does not illustrate the myth, but uses set pieces of the present in an attempt to create an imaginary link to it. The dress in the middle is a reference to the poisoned bridal gown with which Medea, Jason’s lover, killed her rival. The teeth represent the dragon teeth Jason sowed. They sprouted armed warriors whom he had to defeat. The work is thus to be interpreted associatively rather than ‘explained’.
About the Acquisition
Gabriele Quandt-Langenscheidt, the daughter of the German industrialist Harald Quandt and his wife, Inge Bandekow, was awarded her Master of Business Administration at the French business school INSEAD in 1985. As a result of various industrial shareholdings, she is one of the wealthiest women in Germany. She is also the chairwoman of the Harald Quandt Holding, which administers the fortune of the heirs of Harald Quandt. Since 1986 she has been married to the German publisher Florian Langenscheidt, with whom she has two sons. The couple founded 'Children for a Better World', which encourages the involvement of children and young people in volunteer work. Each year, particularly successful initiatives receive awards.
