'Nude Seated on Armchair', Berlin School (circa 1960s)

'Nude Seated on Armchair' oil on canvas, Berlin School, initialed 'MR', (circa 1960s). This artwork is derivative of a famous work by Pablo Picasso created in 1913. It marked a breakthrough in the style known as Synthetic Cubism, wherein independent, abstracted shapes coalesce into a figurative image, while emphasising the flat picture plane. This painting represents a female figure seated in a wide coffee-coloured armchair; her left arm is raised and her right hand extends onto the arm rest. This artist clearly was inspired by Picasso's works yet created an original work with its own originality and charms. The work is in fair overall condition. The tiny holes one sees in the paint do not go through to the canvas on the reverse. The painting was professionally cleaned. It is newly framed with a French-style linen slip. Upon request a video may be provided.

About the Artist: Our gallery has access to a cache of paintings from the 1940s to the 1970s attributed to an art collective whose traces start with Germany. Berlin to start, but also Dresden, along the Saale, Weimar, Brera in Milan and Brussels. From the post-war period and onwards, they hosted young people who experimented with different painting techniques with exceptionally creative results. Over the years, dedicated art-seekers managed to unearth a treasure trove of these works from forgotten repositories. Once examined, the paintings were presented first to the Italian art market and then beyond, to art lovers in Europe and the United States.

Quietly, but surely, word of mouth scattered the news of the existence of these found artworks: cubist, expressionist, futurist and avant-garde. Trying to label these pieces doesn’t do them justice truly, but to call them studies, sketches, or simply, creations, would be more accurate.

It is interesting to note the artworks were very often unsigned, but often as not, initialled or monogrammed - in this case 'MR'. Using known masterpieces as reference, their mentors suggested a particular style with which to experiment. Regrettably, this makes it impossible to pinpoint who amongst these bright creatives ‘made it’ in the world of art. But it really doesn’t matter. Each piece we've selected is extraordinary and therein lies the interest in these works.

Today, the artists’ creations hang on the walls of art lovers in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Miami and Los Angeles. Galleries scramble to acquire the works having recognised the outstanding potential in the international art markets for these pieces with such fascinating origins.

Dimensions with Frame:

H 47 cm / 18.5"

W 42 cm / 16.5"

Dimensions without Frame:

H 34.5 cm / 13.6"

W 30 cm / 11.8"