Jonathan Meese - Contemporary Art Evening Sale New York Thursday, March 4, 2010 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Provenance


    Contemporary Fine Arts, Berlin

  • Catalogue Essay


    Saal is a very important word, because it means “hall.” Everything started in a hall—all revolutions started in a hall, like in Richard Wagner it’s this “Saal” where Hagen von Tronje is sitting in front to protect the hall. Adolf Hitler was also in this Brauhauskeller, which is a hall, too. It’s always a room, or a temple: this space where something happens. Johnathan Meese quoted in “Jonathan Meese with Sue de Beer and Felix
    Ensslin,” Issue Magazine, New York, March 2006
    Hagen of Tronje is a half-human, half-beast mythical character from ancient Germanic and Norse folklore. He is deeply respected by Meese as a symbol of the quintessential antagonist who in the end, stands for what he believes and protects his kingdom represented by a hall, from being destroyed by invaders.
    Meese’s painting depicts several disfigured and contorted forms held for an instant, in an emotional gaze with the viewer. The viewer cannot focus and therefore becomes part of the pandemonium, pulled into the painting, eyes flinting from side to side. The disorder and deep suffering are calmed by a sense of surrender and humility, in which the ancient mythic creature Hagen becomes a truly humble hero.

25

Hagen v. Tronje’s Privatarmee “Scweinchen Dick de Monokeltennonon Zuckerpuppe am Madchen Kolibri”

2004

Oil on canvas.

78 3/4 x 111 1/8 in. (200 x 282.3 cm).
Initialed and dated “JM 2004” lower right of center panel; signed, titled and dated “Meese Hagen v. Tronje’s Privatarmee Scweinchen Dick de Monokeltennonon Zuckerpuppe am Madchen Kolibri 2004” on the reverse.

Estimate
$80,000 - 120,000 

Contemporary Art Evening Sale

4 Mar 2010
New York