About the Work
Violence and submission: a knight in gleaming armour is holding the neck and the hands of a naked woman. While she sinks backwards into the man's arms, her facial features take on a relaxed, seductive expression. Still influenced by Symbolism in this early work, Slevogt contrasts the hard metallic mantelet with the soft, naked skin. The Middle High German title 'Frau Aventiure' ('Lady Adventure') describes a well-known muse from the medieval Minnesong tradition. Stereotypical gender roles are mirrored in the sensuous submission of the woman and the rough appropriation of the man.
About the Acquisition
Ludwig Josef Pfungst, a businessman in Worms, died on 4 July 1905. A childless bachelor, he left his entire art collection and his fortune of around a million marks to the city of Frankfurt. It was his wish that the interest on the money be used to purchase works of contemporary art. This legacy was a major factor leading to the foundation of the Städtische Galerie, which has been part of the Städelsches Kunstinstitut since 1907. Still in existence today, the Pfungst Foundation now mainly supports purchases of modern art for the Städel museum’s Collection of Prints and Drawings.
