Three Women in a Wood
- Date
- c.1920
- Material
- Distemper on burlap
- Classification
- Paintings
- Collection
- Modern and Contemporary Art
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 48 x 53 1/16 in. (121.9 x 134.8 cm)
framed: 62 1/4 x 67 1/8 x 2 1/2 in. (158.1 x 170.5 x 6.4 cm) - Credit Line
- Bequest of Morton D. May
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 916:1983
NOTES
Otto Mueller has depicted a trio of stylized nudes in an idyllic forest setting; their elongated forms are strongly outlined in black. Although a member of Die Brücke, Mueller used a more restrained palette than the other artists in this group. He also preferred the matte finish of the tempera medium, here employed on a rough burlap surface. Mueller painted a dark female type, influenced by the features of his first wife, Maschka, as well as his awareness of African sculpture.
Provenance
Private Collection, Japan [1]
Albert Duveen, New York, NY, USA [2]
- 1951
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York, NY, purchased from Albert Duveen
1951 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914 -1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Buchholz Gallery
1983 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May [3]
Notes:
[1] A letter to Morton D. May dated February 13, 1951, accompanying the invoice from Curt Valentin, indicates that the painting was acquired through a dealer in New York, having come from a private collection in Japan [SLAM document files].
[2] See note [1]. According to a letter from the Estate of Curt Valentin, the painting was acquired from Albert Duveen, and sold to Morton D. May on February 13, 1951 [letter dated July 8, 1968, SLAM document files].
[3] 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.
Albert Duveen, New York, NY, USA [2]
- 1951
Buchholz Gallery (Curt Valentin), New York, NY, purchased from Albert Duveen
1951 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914 -1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Buchholz Gallery
1983 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May [3]
Notes:
[1] A letter to Morton D. May dated February 13, 1951, accompanying the invoice from Curt Valentin, indicates that the painting was acquired through a dealer in New York, having come from a private collection in Japan [SLAM document files].
[2] See note [1]. According to a letter from the Estate of Curt Valentin, the painting was acquired from Albert Duveen, and sold to Morton D. May on February 13, 1951 [letter dated July 8, 1968, SLAM document files].
[3] 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.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.