Self-Portrait, Johannes Grützke
Johannes Grützke
Self-Portrait
DE
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Johannes Grützke

Self-Portrait, July 23, 1979


Blatt
1000 x 1065 mm
Physical Description
Pastel chalks in black, pink, light yellow, light blue and white, partially stumped, on brown packing paper with six indentations made by burning and traces of smouldering on bottom edge
Inventory Number
17623
Object Number
17623 Z
Acquisition
Acquired in 2017
Status
Not on display

Texts

About the Work

In 1979, Johannes Grützke was commissioned to paint the altarpiece "Christ with the Doubting Thomas" for the chapel at Gifhorn Castle in Lower Saxony. He carried out several drawings in preparation, including this large-scale pastel. It was his own mirror image that served him here as a model. However, he depicted his body unharmed – without Christ’s stigmata. Instead, the sheet of paper exhibits ‘injuries’ at the lower edge in the form of burn marks. The light-hued pastel chalks stand out against the tinted paper. The artist used chiaroscuro contrasts to investigate light effects and the plasticity of the body.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
Self-Portrait
Draughtsman
Period Produced
Object Type
Physical Description
Pastel chalks in black, pink, light yellow, light blue and white, partially stumped, on brown packing paper with six indentations made by burning and traces of smouldering on bottom edge
Material
Technique
Geographic Reference
Production Reason
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Monogrammiert und datiert oben rechts (mit schwarzer Kreide): J.G. 23.7.1979
Watermark
  • Nicht vorhanden

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Picture Copyright
© VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023
Acquisition
Acquired in 2017

Work Content

Motifs and References

Iconclass

Primary
  • 48C513(+2) portrait, self-portrait of painter (+ artist in non-work situation)
  • 61B2(GRÜTZKE, Johannes)11(+52) historical person (GRÜTZKE, Johannes) - historical person (GRÜTZKE, Johannes) portrayed alone (+ (GRÜTZKE, Johannes) bust portrait)
  • 31D14 adult man
Secondary

Research and Discussion

Provenance

Object History
Johannes Grützke (1937-2017), Berlin
Kunsthandel Deutschland
verkauft an das Städelsche Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, 2017.

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”.

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  • 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

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Last update

24.11.2023