Imi Knoebel
1940

Portrait (Laura). 1995/1998.
Acrylic on panel.
Signed and dated “95” on the reverse. Signed and dated ‘98’ on a separate label, with the typographical title “LAURA”. 50 x 34 x 8.7 cm (19.6 x 13.3 x 3.4 in). [EH].


• One-of-a-kind.
• Knoebel took the stylization of the human portrait head, as originated in Jawlensky’s “Meditations,” to its extreme in this series.
• An outstanding example of Knoebel’s masterful interplay of reduction and variation.
• Through the unique color combination and brushwork, Knoebel imbues the three-dimensional wooden form with a “painterly quality” and individual character.
• This coloring in soft pastel tones and a pearlescent shimmer at the center is rare within the series.

PROVENANCE: Private collection, Bavaria.

"Imi Knoebel is one of the most radically abstract artists of today [..]. In Knoebel’s work, radicalism and consistency come together to form a balanced unity that is constantly put to the test."
Zdenek Felix, quoted from: exhibition cat. Imi Knoebel. Retrospektive 1968-1996, Haus der Kunst, Munich, 1996, pp. 291f.