Provenance research in the sculpture collection of the HLMD

The goal of the project is systematically to investigate the origin and history of the objects, with the prime intention of identifying works that possibly—or clearly—disappeared for a time as a result of National Socialist persecution.

The objects created before 1945 and acquired after 1933 bear witness to the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt’s purchasing strategy, aimed at creating a well-rounded and extensive sculpture collection, the foundation for which was laid by Grand Duke Ludewig I of Hesse and the Rhine (1753-1830) and by the Hüpsch Collection bequest. It is therefore no wonder that the planned research program involves sculptures created over almost eight centuries from a wide variety of materials—such as ivory, limewood, plaster and marble—embracing the entire spectrum of the Darmstadt collection.

Apostle

The oldest sculpture—the figure of an apostle carved from a walrus tusk — was created in Cologne at the end of the 12^th century. Stylistically, the three-quarter profile miniature, measuring ca. 8 cm, resembles the apostles on the Guelph Treasure cupola reliquary (now in the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin). The research project aims to reveal how the sculpture entered the Darmstadt art market, whence it was acquired for the museum in 1936.

Bronze relief by Käthe Kollwitz

The most recent object under scrutiny is a bronze relief by Käthe Kollwitz. The original was designed for the grave of artist Ernst Barlach, who died on 24 October 1938; copies of the “Lament” cast in bronze were subsequently put onto the art market. The Darmstadt relief was purchased in 1957 from Helmut Rauch of Darmstadt. It shows the face of the dead artist, his left hand half-covering his face and his right hand over his mouth, opened in a scream. The research project aims to determine ownership of this expressive bronze relief since it was cast in 1938.

But researching the provenance of these 120 or so sculptures faces many challenges, for the museum’s own records of bids and purchases during the period 1933 to 1945 were destroyed in the nocturnal bombing raid of 11-12 September 1944. The museum’s inventory thus no longer contains invoices, correspondence, photographs, or other evidence of the objects’ purchase. For the crucial period between 1933 and 1945, the museum must accordingly find ways of dealing with considerable gaps in its provenance records and rely on external sources such as archives, databanks, and libraries in order to fill these gaps.

Bronze sculpture by Alfred Flechtheim

In contrast to paintings, of which only one copy might exist, the objects under scrutiny here include bronze sculptures that were produced in editions of several copies. Such editions pose a further challenge to provenance research since it is difficult to determine exactly which copy of an edition belonged to whom. Such is the case with copies of the face of Alfred Flechtheim, cast in bronze by Rudolf Belling in 1927 (fig. 3). Darmstadt too possesses a copy of this futuristic work, in which Belling portrays the Berlin gallery owner merely by representing his eyes, nose and lips. The sculpture was purchased in 1961 from the Galerie Vömel, whence the copy in Cologne’s Museum Ludwig also originates.

Medieval sculptures also demand a certain inventiveness on the part of provenance researchers since works from that period can rarely be ascribed to specific artists; instead they are attributed to a region or workshop. Furthermore, such attributions and even works’ titles change constantly over time—making stable search parameters a rarity.

Sarah von der Lieth