- 1950
Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; New York, NY, USA
1950 -
Mathilde Q. Beckmann, New York, NY, by inheritance from the artist
Catherine Viviano Gallery, New York, NY, on consignment from Mathilde Q. Beckmann [1]
by 1954 - 1956
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Jaffe, Beverly Hills, CA [2]
1956 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Sam Jaffe [3]
1983 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May [4]
Notes:
The main source for this provenance is Göpel's catalogue raisonné, cat. no. 408 [Göpel, Erhard and Barbara Göpel. "Max Beckmann: Katalog der Gemälde." Bern: Kornfeld & Cie., 1976]. Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[1] The painting had likely been on consignment with Beckmann's art dealer, Curt Valentin, at Buchholz Gallery in New York. After Curt Valentin's death in 1954, the artist's widow, Mathilde Q. Beckmann (also known as Quappi), consigned Beckmann's work to Catherine Viviano Gallery [letter from Mathilde Q. Beckmann to Morton D. May, dated December 20, 1955, May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].
[2] In 1954, this still life was included in an exhibition at the University of Southern California, lent by Mr. and Mrs. Sam Jaffe ["Some German Expressionists: An Exhibition of Art Work Loaned from Private and Public Collections," November 4 - 26, 1954, copy of checklist, SLAM document files].
[3] Sam Jaffe ran the Jaffe Agency, a talent agency for Hollywood actors. Jaffe sold the painting to Morton D. May in November 1956; the receipt of payment, dated November 26, 1956, is printed on Jaffe Agency letterhead [May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].
[4] Last Will and Testament of M. D. May dated June 11, 1982 [copy, May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum]. Minutes of the Acquisitions and Loans Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, September 20, 1983.
