Bidspirit auction | Theo Champion

Theo Champion - Theo Champion ”Village in Thuringia”. 1909.. Theo Champion 1887 Düsseldorf – 1952 Zell an der Mosel Oil on burlap, relined on canvas. Signed, abbreviated place name and dated ”Champion D''dorf 1909” lower right. Monogrammed and inscribed ”Dorf bei Abend Thüringen 1909” on the stretcher. Framed in a gold-colored, unprofiled strip. It is possible that ”D''dorf” refers to Daasdorf, west of Weimar. In any case, the Thuringian motif and the impressionistic painting style, which the young artist represented during his studies in Weimar, correspond in such a way that the painting can be described as a key work of the early Champion. Varnish slightly light-edged in the rebate area. Paint layer with age craquelure. Small paint losses in the meadow, architecture and sky. Isolated tiny spots on the surface. Varnish slightly yellowed and grey deposits in the depths of the impasto in the sky. Frame slightly bumped at the corners. Dimensions: 37.5 x 43.5 cm, frame 41 x 47.2 cm. Theo Champion 1887 Düsseldorf – 1952 Zell an der Mosel Son of a merchant, studied from 1906 at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. In 1907, he moved to the Kunstschule Weimar. From 1910–13, he undertook extensive study trips through Europe. He was severely wounded in the Battle of Verdun in 1916. After the First World War, he turned away from impressionistic painting and towards New Objectivity. He also became a member of the Rheinische Secession. In the 1930s, he was mainly perceived as a ”New Romantic”. In 1947, he was appointed professor at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.