AXTMANBRILLA
is brought by
BRILLA CONSULTING GMBH & CO.KG, GERMANY
in collaboration with
MARKETING & CONSULTING DI GIULIA KASCINA, ITALY
Clara Porges was one of if not the most important painter of her time in Switzerland. At that time, it was extremely difficult for a female artist to be recognized. For instance, even the famous Ferdinand Hodler did not appreciate the works of women in principle, and opposed female members of the GSMBA (Society of Swiss Painters, Sculptors and Architects) to obtain equal rights for exhibitions. Thus, the fact that Porges was a woman prevented her from pursuing a great career during her lifetime what she would have definitely deserved. The GSMBA did not allow active membership of women until 1972.
In the 1920s, Clara Porges artworks were mainly influenced by Expressionism and Ferdinand Hodler’s expressive depictions of the Silser Lake. The atmospheric effects of light and expressive use of colors contrasting the sky, mountains, and their reflections in the lake are even more impressive in Clara Porges paintings. Porges used pure colors, e.g. pure ultramarine blue or cobalt blue. Black is almost completely missing in her artworks. Light and dark are represented by skilful juxtaposition of pure colors and their dilutions with water as performed in that stunning watercolor painting of the famous Faraglioni rocks of Capri. That results in a high expression of landscape paintings with stunning atmospheric light effects.
Clara Porges also painted portraits and cities as well as allegorical motifs as part of symbolism like Hodler. Her style with pure, bright colors is unique.
This artwork, obtained at a gallery in Switzerland, has been in possession of an art collector since 2011. It's originally signed lower right & verso entitled "Capri" by the artist. In addition, an estate stamp on the back further proves its originality (in the internet false offers are presented).
Watercolor on paper mounted on thick paper board, title & estate stamp on the back, Size: 74x56 cm (painting), 82x64 cm (frame, 4cm, golden color, wood)
Clara Porges
Clara Porges (1879 – 1963) was an extraordinary German/Suiss painter. She was born in Berlin, where she studied fine arts at the Municipal School of Fine Arts, which was headed by Max Liebermann, 1896 - 1898, and thereafter at the Academy Fehr until 1900. Her artworks had been exhibited in numerous cities, at the Glass Palace Munich in 1912, thereafter in Stuttgart, Dresden, Vienna, Bern, Lausanne, London, and at the Art House Zurich in 1922. Inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s description of Sils-Maria in Switzerland, she visited that place in 1911, felt in love with its stunning landscape, and moved there in 1918. She lived in Switzerland until her death.
After her death her great artwork has been almost forgotten until the art collector René Brogli organized several retrospective exhibitions of her extraordinary oevre since 2013. In that time, the first monography (“Clara Porges – painter of the light” by Sergio Michels about her stunning work has been published. Since then, Clara Porges’ paintings, either watercolor or oil, achieve high prices on auctions. An oil painting, showing the Silser Lake at her beloved Sils-Maria, has been traded for more than US$ 80,000 by the auctioneer Christie’s in 2014. Regularly, prices up to € 19,000 for watercolor paintings has been achieved since then.
