About the Work
Myths and history are Anselm Kiefer’s subject matter. This is also true of ‘Kunersdorf’, in which a sheet of lead forms the entire surface except for a section at bottom centre featuring a photograph. The latter shows the silhouette of a man – the artist himself – standing on a hill. It was taken as part of the ‘action’ entitled ‘Occupations’ (1969), for which Kiefer had himself photographed performing the Hitler salute at various locations in Europe. The title ‘Kunersdorf’ refers to the site where Frederick II suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Russia and Austria.
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.
