We are pleased to present 33 drawings and watercolors by Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956), beginning with the first watercolors he made in 1908 in Paris, shortly after he decided to become an independent artist, and including his last works, made in New York in 1955.
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Paris (Newspaper Readers), 1908
Watercolor and ink on paper
10 1/4 x 8 1/4 in. (26 x 21 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Inscribed bottom left: X PARIS L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Strassenpflasterer (Men Working), 1910
Ink and charcoal on paper
12 1/2 x 9 5/8 in. (31.7 x 24.3 cm)
Signed lower right: Feininger
Dated bottom right: SUNDAY APR. 3. 10
Titled lower center: “Men Working” Strassenpflasterer
Inscribed bottom left: X X L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Pariser Strasse (Paris Street), 1915
Watercolor and ink on paper
11 9/10 x 8 8/9 in. (30.2 x 22.4 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: Dienst. d. 21. Dez. 1915
Titled lower center: PARISER STRASSE
Inscribed bottom left: X
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Niedergrunstedt VIII, 1916
Ink on paper
9 3/8 x 12 in. (23.8 x 30.5 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: Sonnabend d. 30 Sept 1916
Titled lower center: NiederGrunstedt VIII
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Gaberndorf, 1918
Watercolor and ink on paper
9 1/3 x 12 1/8 in. (23.7 x 30.8 cm)
Inscribed and signed lower left: X Feininger
Dated lower left: Mittwoch d. 9. Jan. 1918
Titled lower center: Gaberndorf
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Am Bahndamm, 1916
(On the Train Track)
Watercolor and ink on paper
9 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (24.8 x 31.8 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: Dienstag d. 26 Sept. 1916
Titled lower center: AM BAHNDAMM
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Gaberndorf, 1918
Watercolor and ink on paper
9 3/8 x 12 1/8 in. (23.7 x 30.9 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: Mittwoch d. 9. Jan. 1918
Titled lower center: Gaberndorf
Inscribed lower left: X L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Greifenberg in Pommern, 1927
(Greifenberg in Pommerania)
Ink and charcoal on paper
11 1/4 x 16 1/8 in. (28.6 x 41 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 25 8 27
Titled lower center: Greifenberg i. P.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Linderbach, 1923
Ink on paper
11 x 12 3/4 in. (28 x 32.4 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 27. Juli 1928
Titled lower center: LINDERBACH
Inscribed lower left: X L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Viermast Bark, 1934
(Four-Masted Barque)
Ink on paper
10 x 13 5/16 in. (25.4 x 33.7 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1934
Titled lower right: viermast Bark
Inscribed bottom left: meinem lieben Andreas, von Papileo
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Dorf, 1923
(Village)
Watercolor and ink on paper
11 x 15 in. (27.9 x 38.1 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 24 Sept 1923
Titled lower center: Dorf
Inscribed bottom left: X X
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Düne am Abend, 1928
(Dune at Evening)
Ink and charcoal on paper
11 1/4h x 16 in. (28.6 x 40.6 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 5 8 28
Titled lower center: Düne am Abend
Inscribed bottom left: X. L.F.
Inscribed bottom right: 20 X 36
Inscribed verso: Original Study for painting “Dune at Twilight”, 1944, Collection W. W. Norton
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Two Sailing Ships), 1935
Watercolor and ink on paper
7 5/8 x 10 5/16 in. (19.4 x 26.2 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 20. VI. 39
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Quimper, 1931
Watercolor and ink on paper
18 5/8 x 11 1/4 in. (47.3 x 28.6 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 3 9 31
Titled lower center: Quimper
Inscribed bottom left: X L. F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Sonneruntergang am Strande, 1934
(Sunset on the Beach)
Ink on paper
10 x 13 5/16 in. (25.4 x 33.7 cm)
Signed and titled lower left: Feininger: Sonnenuntergang am Strande
Dated lower right: 29. 6. 34.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Smoke-Script), 1946
Watercolor and ink on paper
12 3/4 x 18 7/8 in. (32.4 x 47.9 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 14. VII. 46.
Inscribed bottom left: X L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(St. Quenole), 1947
Watercolor and ink on paper
12 1/2 x 18 15/16 in. (31.8 x 48.1 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 28. VIII. 47.
Inscribed bottom left: X
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Barque Against Blue Sky), 1938
Watercolor and ink on paper
6 7/8 x 9 in. (17.4 x 23 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 1938
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Vollersroda, 1947
Watercolor and ink on paper
8 3/4 x 11 1/2 in. (22.2 x 29.2 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1947
Titled lower right: “Vollersroda”
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
(Three Children on the Shore), 1949
Watercolor and ink on paper
12 5/8 x 18 3/4 in. (32.1 x 47.6 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1949
Inscribed bottom left: X L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Village), 1952
Watercolor, charcoal, and ink on paper
10 15/16 x 19 1/6 in. (27.8 x 48.7 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1952
Inscribed verso: to my dear Allo, from his old friend L.F., Cambridge, Mass, Aug 26. 1952
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Row of Houses and Trees by Night), 1952
Charcoal on Paper
9 1/8 x 12 1/8 in. (23.8 x 31.3 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 6. 9. ’52.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Dunes), 1954
Ink and charcoal on paper
12 1/4 x 19 in. (31.1 x 48.3 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1954
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Composition: Vollersroda), 1955
Watercolor and ink on paper
9 1/4 x 12 1/2 in. (23.5 x 31.8 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower reight: 15. VIII. `55
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
(Sun Over Sea), 1953
Ink wash and ink on paper
12 1/2 x 19 in. (31.8 x 48.3 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 8. VII. ‘53.
Inscribed lower left: X 17. 7. 53. L.F.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Manhattan), 1952
Watercolor, charcoal, and ink on paper
19 1/8 x 13 7/8 in. (48.5 x 35.4 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Dated lower right: 20. V. 52.
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
(Manhattan), 1955
Watercolor, charcoal, and ink on paper
13 x 9 1/2 in. (32.9 x 24.1 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 1955
Lyonel Feininger (1871—1956)
Viaduct, 1955
Watercolor, charcoal, and ink on paper
9 3/8 x 12 1/2 in. (23.8 x 31.8 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: Feininger 7. VII. ‘55
Titled lower right: Viaduct
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
Merry Christmas, c. 1953
Watercolor, gold paint, and ink on paper
3 5/16 x 4 1/8 in. (8.4 x 10.5 cm)
Inscribed upper center in typewriter: MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
(Three Figures), c. 1954
Watercolor and ink on paper
6 9/16 x 3 1/4 in. (16.7 x 8.3 cm)
Signed lower left: Feininger
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956)
(Five Figures), 1954
Watercolor and ink on paper
3 1/8 x 6 1/8 in. (7.9 x 15.6 cm)
Signed and dated upper left: Feininger
Lyonel Feininger at the Easel, 1951
Photo: Andreas Feininger
1871
Lyonel Feininger is born on July 17 in New York to Karl and Elizabeth Feininger; he is the first of three children.
1887
Leaves for Germany and starts studying at the General Vocational and Crafts School in Hamburg.
1888
Moves to Berlin and begins studying at the Royal Academy of Arts.
1892
Leaves the Academy and moves to Paris.
1893
Moves back to Berlin and starts working as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator.
1901
Marries Clara Fürst, birth of daughter Eleonora.
1902
Birth of daughter Marianne.
1905
Meets Julia Berg (née Lilienfeld) and separates from his wife.
1906
Moves with Julia to Paris and their son Andreas is born. Works on two comic strips for The Chicago Sunday Tribune.
1907
Executes his first oil painting.
1908
Marries Julia in London, returns to Berlin.
1909
Birth of son Laurence.
1910
Birth of son Theodore Lux (T. Lux).
1911
Six paintings are shown at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris.
1913
Five paintings are shown at the Erster Deutscher Herbstsalon, organized by the Galerie Der Sturm in Berlin.
1917
First solo exhibition at the Galerie Der Sturm.
1919
Is appointed the first master of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar.
1921
Composes his first fugue.
1926
Moves with the Bauhaus to Dessau as master without teaching duties.
1929
Works on a series of paintings for the City of Halle (Saale).
1931
Completes his Halle series. Retrospectives in Dresden, Essen, and at the Nationalgalerie in Berlin.
1934
Moves to Berlin-Siemensstadt.
1935
The National Socialists declare his art “degenerate.”
1936
Teaches a summer course at Mills College in Oakland, California.
1937
Leaves Germany, teaches another summer course at Mills College and then settles in New York City.
1939
Works on murals for the 1939/1940 New York World’s Fair.
1942
One of his paintings is awarded a purchase prize by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
1944
Retrospective with Marsden Hartley at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
1945
Teaches a summer course at Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina.
1956
Dies on January 13 in his New York apartment.