Untitled
Date1983
Maker
Anselm Kiefer
German, born 1945
Label TextIn Untitled, Kiefer evokes the monumental scale of Albert Speer’s Nazi-era architecture, which itself drew from ancient Egyptian monuments meant to dwarf the individual. Vast, dark and eerily empty, the space and perspective chosen by the artist are threatening, capturing not only the oppressive threat of Speer’s architectural vision but also the course of destruction and annihilation that sprang from this political regime.
In Untitled, Kiefer evokes the monumental scale of Albert Speer’s Nazi-era architecture, which itself drew from ancient Egyptian monuments meant to dwarf the individual. Vast, dark and eerily empty, the space and perspective chosen by the artist are threatening, capturing not only the oppressive threat of Speer’s architectural vision but also the course of destruction and annihilation that sprang from this political regime.
Object number2012.30.3
ProvenanceErich Marx Collection, Berlin, Germany; Private Collection; Jeffrey and Susan Brotman, Medina, Washington
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of James Cohan Gallery
Exhibition HistoryLondon, England, Anthony d'Offay Gallery, Anselm Kiefer: New Paintings, May 25 - July 9, 1983.
Cologne, Germany, Galerie Paul Maenz, Anselm Kiefer, Jan. 14 - Feb. 11, 1984. Cat.
Düsseldorf, Germany, Städtische Kunsthalle, Anselm Kiefer, Mar. 24 - May 5, 1984 (Paris, France, Musée d'art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, May 11 - June 21, 1984; Jerusalem, The Israel Museum, July 31 - Sept. 30, 1984). Cat. no. 49, abb. no. 80, p. 123.
Berlin, Germany, Nationalgalerie, 1945-1985 Kunst in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1945-1985 Art in the Federal Republic of Germany), Sept. 27, 1985 - Jan. 21, 1986. Cat. no. 475, abb. p. 319, komm. von Angela Schneider, pp. 318, 319.
Tokyo, Sezon Museum of Art, Anselm Kiefer–Melancholia, June 3 - July 19, 1993 (Kyoto, Japan, The National Museum of Modern Art, Aug. 3 - Sept. 5; Hiroshima, Japan, City Museum of Contemporary Art, Sept.18 - Oct. 24, 1993).
Basel, Switzerland, Fondation Beyeler, Anselm Kiefer: The Seven Heavenly Palaces 1973-2001, Oct. 28, 2001 - Feb. 17, 2002. Cat. no. 15.
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Big Picture: Art After 1945, July 23, 2016 - May 16, 2021 [on view Nov. 19, 2016 - Aug. 26, 2018].
Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Material Difference: German Perspectives, Mar. 1, 2019 - Apr. 26, 2020.Published ReferencesGilmour, John C., "Fire on Earth, Anselm Kiefer and the Post Modern World", 1990, abb. no.9, p.33
Berlin, Neue Nationalgalerie, "Anselm Kiefer", March 10 - May 20, 1991, catalogue no. 3 abb. p.32
Rosenthal, Mark, Sezon Museum of Art, Tokyo, "Anselm Kiefer - Melancholia", June 3 - July 19, 1993, catalogue no. P-18, abb. p. 151
Credit LineGift of Jeffrey and Susan Brotman, in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Seattle Art Museum
Dimensions102 3/8 x 74 3/4 in. (260 x 189.9 cm)
MediumEmulsion, oil, shellac, woodcut, synthetic resin and straw on canvas
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