The Art of Giving

From 9 January 2010 the Victoria Art Gallery, the free public art gallery for Bath & North East Somerset, will display some of the gems of its permanent collection which have been generously donated by local people over the last century.

The star of the show will be the latest acquisition, an exquisite small oil painting Small Harbour Scene by Paul Klee, which is part of the Lutz Haber Bequest. The Art of Giving displaycelebrates the invaluable contribution of local collectors to the Victoria Art Gallery's collections, and gives an opportunity to publicise, and thank them for their generosity. 

Fully authenticated by the Klee Foundation earlier this year, the 90 year-old picture Small Harbour Scene is a highly significant re-discovery, never previously exhibited in public. It is an imaginary depiction of a harbour with two paddle steamers in dry dock, 3 smaller boats in the water and a fisherman holding a net, all captured in glowing, jewel-like colours.

Jon Benington, Manager of the Victoria Art Gallery commented: “To make the picture Klee combined oil painting with pen and ink, which he applied to two joined pieces of paper. A fragment of a male portrait survives on the reverse side, suggesting that Klee cut down an older picture in order to re-use existing materials.”

“Typically for Klee, the scene is captured on a bijou scale, just 10 x 8 inches. The modest scale undoubtedly ensured the painting's survival, for it meant that it was small enough to go in their luggage when the Haber family fled from the Nazis and came to Britain in 1936. Without this act of foresight, the painting would have been seized by the Nazis.”

This exhibition will include a wide array of the best and most interesting objects in the gallery’s collection, from dazzling 18th century drinking glasses and elegant Worcester porcelain, prints by Whistler, the much-loved 15th century painting, The Adoration of the Magi coming right up to the present-day bequest from Lutz Haber, Small Harbour Scene by Paul Klee. 

Katharine Wall, Collections Manager at the Council-run art gallery said: “Without the kindness and generosity of the donors, these objects would not be available for the public to see, appreciate and learn about.  This exhibition flags up the vital contribution that the gallery's donors have made, highlighting the way that many of the best and most beautiful objects in Bath and North East Somerset Council's collections have passed from private to public ownership, and become available for us all to enjoy”.

A free exhibition tour with the curators of The Art of Giving will take place on Wednesday 27 January 12.00-12.45pm. For more information logon to http://www.victoriagal.org.uk/

The Art of Giving exhibition is running concurrently in the upstairs gallery with two other new exhibitions in the lower gallery, The Royal Photographic Society’s 152^nd International Exhibition and Tempting Temperas, which includes tempera paintings by Joseph Southall from the 1890s to the 1930s. All will open on 9 January 2010.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Attached picture (LOW RES):  Paul Klee, Small Harbour Scene, 1919.

© DACS 2009.

Reproductions for the purpose of reporting or reviewing the exhibition in a UKpublication do not need to be licensed.

Reproductions for all non-press uses or for press uses where the above criteria do not apply (e.g. covers and feature articles) must obtain a license from DACS (tel. +44 207 336 8811).

Paul Klee (1879-1940)

German watercolourist, painter and etcher of fantastic works, mostly small in scale; one of the most inventive and influential artists of the 20th century.

Born in Münchenbuchsee near Bern, son of a German music teacher and a Swiss mother. Went to Munich 1898-1901 to study painting. Visited Italy 1901-2 to widen his knowledge of art, then lived 1902-6 in Bern, taking great interest in music as well as painting.

Settled in Munich 1906 and had his first one-man exhibition in 1910 at the Kunsthaus, Zurich. Met Wassily Kandinsky, Jawlensky, Auguste Macke and Franz Marc in 1911 and was included in the second Blue Rider exhibition 1912. Visited Paris in 1912, met Robert Delaunay and saw Cubist pictures.

Travelled to Tunis and Kairouan with Macke 1914; growing interest in colour, began to work largely in watercolour. Moved to Weimar in 1921 to teach at the Bauhaus school of design, moving with the Bauhaus to Dessau in 1926. Afterwards taught at Düsseldorf Academy 1931-3. Dismissed from his teaching post and branded as 'degenerate' by the Nazis in 1933; returned to Bern. Died at Muralto-Locarno.

For more information contact: Jon Benington, Manager of the Victoria Art Gallery on 01225 477772, or email: jon_benington@bathnes.gov.uk

For images contact: Sue Lucy, Group Administrator, on 01225 477232, or email: sue_lucy@bathnes.gov.uk