Exhibitions
Lotte Laserstein (Thomas Agnew, till 4 December) Lotte Laserstein (Belgrave Gallery, till 4 December)
Overdue tribute
Giles Auty Experience of looking at art suggests that happy surprises are likely to be few. From time to time the work of unknown artists is dragged into temporary limelight by enthusiastic promoters, but seldom survives a lot of scrutiny. The effects of disregard on an artist are usually mixed. While the artist is young, the cold water of neglect may help temper a valuable sense of artistic certainty. Later in life, con- tinuing, undeserved obscurity may create apathy or resentment in all but the strongest. The daily practice of his craft is no less essential for the serious artist than for the musician. This is where early success can be a practical help.
In Britain it is now much more likely that indifferent artists will be praised too highly than that outstanding artists will escape detection altogether. This has a lot to do with the prevailing modishness. It is in the international arena that the happier sur- prises are more likely to occur. Sadly we are seldom lucky enough to see work from artistically unfashionable countries, which are generally those without powerful cultu- ral representation. In the showing of art on an international basis, strong elements of chauvinism can be seen to exist, spoiling the benefits of genuine cultural exchange.
Today most of the prime donne of fashionable art rotate around a North Atlantic axis, with occasional nods in the direction of Italy. The more northerly countries of Scandinavia do not lie on this blessed latitude, so we in Britain seldom see examples of their excellent art. When we do, as in last year's exhibition Dreams of a Summer Night at the Hayward Gal- lery, the public provided ample proof of its popularity.
Although Lotte Laserstein is German she has lived in Sweden for the past 50 years. This fact alone guarantees that her work is unlikely to be seen in Britain. Indeed the artist is almost 90 at this, her first time of exposure here. In terms of international profile the artist has com- pounded the error of living in an un- fashionable country with that of steadfast indifference to passing fashions. This ren- ders her work unsuitable for showing in our publicly subsidised exhibition spaces, whose managements see it as their duty to bring us a more or less uninterrupted diet of the latest transnational fashions.
That we are able to see the work of this interesting artist at all owes much to the researches of Caroline Stroude and to the enterprise of the two private galleries who will be showing over 50 paintings by Laserstein from 4 November: Thomas Agnew (43 Old Bond Street, W1) and the nearby Belgrave Gallery (22 Mason's Yard, SW1). The work they have managed to get together is impressive and leads one to suspect that a full retrospective of the artist's work could be a rare experience. Few artists are able to retain more than a few examples of their best work when approaching 90.
The most important and at times asto- nishing paintings available date from the artist's earlier life, while still living in Germany. Seven or eight of these are majestic conceptions, and one can imagine the profound impact a greater number might make. 'The Artist and Traute, Ber- lin 1928' is a virtuoso performance not only in the handling of the reclining nude in the foreground but in the depiction of the artist herself, seated at an easel, in semi- darkness against the snowy panorama of the city beyond the windows. The space is entirely convincing at every level.
By the age of 30 the artist was already at the height of her considerable powers. A much larger painting, nearly 7 feet wide, `The Roof Garden, Potsdam', features an even more impressive cityscape which the coming war was to alter irretrievably. This painting is of extraordinary historic as well as artistic interest and would grace any major museum in northern Europe. Three figures are seated at a large table placed outdoors on a lofty balcony; we witness what reads as a casual conversation after a lengthy meal. Two further standing figures and a large dog complete an ensemble which is utterly credible yet was clearly posed. I doubt whether any young artist today could begin to handle so complex a construction with such poise and mastery.
Sad to say, Lotte Laserstein did not feature in the giant survey of German art presented here at the Royal Academy in 1985. It is a safe bet that the organisers had never heard of her.
Lotte Laserstein has the distinction of being one of the few women admitted in her day to the Berlin Academy. She rose during her six years there to the position of `Atelier Meisterschiiler', or star pupil, a status which entitled her to a private studio in the building. She also won the Gold Medal in 1925. Her principal tutor there was Erich Wolfsfeld (1885-1956), who was later to die in Britain in circumstances of artistic neglect. Wolfsfeld in turn studied under von Menzel — the subject of my review two weeks ago — and Menzel and Wilhelm Leibl as well as the 16th-century master Hans Holbein the Younger were other major influences on the young Lotte Laserstein. She also studied art history and philosophy at Berlin University.
The artist's young life included know- ledge of privation and exclusion, the latter for having one Jewish grandparent. This was the reason why she was barred from the German pavilion when showing at the Paris World Fair in 1937. Her subsequent host country, Sweden, honoured and wel- comed the artist and provided her with many chances to paint outstanding por- traits. Few of her sitters were of the quality as models of her lifelong friend Traute Rose who, as a trained athlete, could hold poses effortlessly. Traute features as 'The Tennis Player' at the Belgrave Gallery exhibition. She acted as coach to Laser- stein and Wolfsfeld, who were addicts of the game.
So, too, is this writer. This review has been written before the official opening of the exhibitions on 4 November to enable me to play in certain tournaments in Spain designed for those beyond the first flush of youth.
A painting of extraordinary historic and artistic interest: The Roof Garden, Potsdam', at Thomas Agnew
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