Under the elder bush, Hans Thoma
Hans Thoma
Under the elder bush
DE
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Hans Thoma

Under the elder bush, 1871


Dimensions
74.5 x 62.5 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
SG 903
Acquisition
Acquired in 1938, Hans Thoma Collection of Otto Eiser-Eduard Kücher
Status
Not on display

Texts

About the Work

A young woman sits in front of a flowering elder bush, which is still called "lilac" in some parts of the world. She gazes tenderly at the sleeping child in her lap. The intimate attention and familiarity suggest a mother with child. In fact, however, Thoma was modelling his younger sister Agathe (1848–1928) and a boy who was probably also a relative. The group, composed as a stable triangle, is reminiscent of depictions of the Virgin Mary with her Son. Hence, this summer idyll can be considered a precursor for the numerous religious motifs in the artist's later oeuvre.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
Under the elder bush
Painter
Period Produced
School
Object Type
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Material
Technique
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Signiert und datiert unten rechts: Hans Thoma 1871.

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Picture Copyright
Public Domain
Acquisition
Acquired in 1938, Hans Thoma Collection of Otto Eiser-Eduard Kücher

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre
Main Motif

Iconclass

Primary
  • 61BB112(+54) anonymous historical persons portrayed in a double portrait - BB - woman (+ three-quarter length portrait)
  • 31D15(+3) adult woman (+ sideview, profile)
  • 42AA51 toddler - AA - girl
  • 31AA235 sitting figure - AA - female human figure
  • 31AA236 lying figure - AA - female human figure
  • 25G1 plants (in general)
Secondary

Research and Discussion

Provenance

Object History
...
Otto Eiser (1834-1898) / Eduard Küchler (1840-1919, Vater von Sofie Bergman geb. Küchler)
an Sofie Bergman-Küchler (1878-1960), Frankfurt am Main
Verkauf und Schenkung als "Hans Thoma-Sammlung von Otto Eiser-Eduard Küchler" an die Stadt Frankfurt am Main, 1938.

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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Last update

08.12.2023