Rechts unten signiert „Feininger“. Verso auf Keilrahmen beschrieben „Lyonel Feininger 1940 Architectural Composition I New York“.
Gerahmt.

Das Werk ist im Online Catalogue Raisonné der Gemälde unter der Nummer 417 aufgeführt.

Zu Lebzeiten des Künstlers erwarb das MoMA dieses Gemälde direkt vom Künstler. Das erste Mal geschah dies 1944/45, ein weiteres Mal 1952. Das Werk war auch Teil von Feiningers Retrospektive. Der amerikanische Pavillon der Biennale von Venedig 1956, kuratiert von Katherine Kuh, umfasste 35 Künstler unter dem Titel „American Artists Paint the City“. Das vorliegende Gemälde war eines von drei Werken, die Feininger zur Vertretung der Vereinigten Staaten einreichte. Es war das früheste der drei Werke; die anderen entstanden 1949 bzw. 1951. Katherine Kuh beschrieb Feiningers Beiträge zur 28. Biennale von Venedig prägnant und war der Ansicht, dass Feininger „alle leuchtenden Lichter Amerikas verdichtet und symbolisiert“.

Die Farbgebung erinnert an die Werke des Künstlers aus Norddeutschland, bezieht jedoch die roten Backsteine der Wohnblocks in Manhattan mit ein. Die Komposition zeigt kontrastierende Ebenen, und es gibt einen Hinweis auf die ikonischen Wassertürme der Stadt.

Provenienz:
Künstlernachlass, New York.
Julia Feininger, New York.
Marlborough Fine Art, London & New York.
Connaught Brown, London.
Privatsammlung London, (erworben bei Connaught Brown in 2005).
Privatsammlung England.Literatur:
Manny Farber, Feininger, Tack, and Burlin, in: Magazine of Art, Vol. 36, Nr. 3, März 1943, S. 107–109, 278.
Hans Hess, Lyonel Feininger, New York 1961, Nr. 400, S. 286 (Abbildung).
Achim Moeller und Stephan E. Hauser, Feininger and Tobey. Years of Friendship 1944–1956, New York 1991, S. 27 (Titel „New York Architectural Composition I“).
Achim Moeller (Hrsg.), Years of Friendship 1944–1956. The Correspondence of Lyonel Feininger and Mark Toby, Ostfildern-Ruit 2006, S. 41 (Titel „New York Architectural Composition I“).

Ausstellungen:
Lyonel Feininger. Recent Paintings and Watercolors, The Buchholz Gallery Curt Valentin, New York, Januar – Februar 1943, Nr. 1.
Painting in the United States, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, Oktober – Dezember 1943, Nr. 191.
Lyonel Feininger and Marsden Hartley, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Oktober 1944 – Januar 1945, S. 47 (Abbildung S. 39, Titel „New York, Architectural Composition“).
Lyonel Feininger, Poughkeepsie, Februar – März 1945; Boston Symphony Orchestra Hall, April 1945; Amherst College, Mai – Juni 1945; The San Francisco Museum of Art, Juli 1945; City Art Museum of St. Louis, September – Oktober 1945; St. Paul Gallery and Art School, Oktober – November 1945; Fort Worth Museum Art Association, Dezember – Januar 1946; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, Januar – Februar 1946; Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, March – April 1946; J. B. Speed Memorial Museum, Louisville, April – Mai 1946.
New Paintings by Lyonel Feininger, Wanderausstellung (Titel „New York, Architectural Composition“), Bozeman State College, Bozeman, 1949; Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Februar – März 1949; San Francisco Museum of Art, April – Mai 1949; Portland Museum of Art, Juni 1949.The City, Wanderausstellung, Workshop Centre of the Arts, Washington D.C., September- Oktober 1951; Vassar College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, Oktober – November 1951; Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, November – Dezember 1951; Carleton College, Northfield, Januar 1952; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Februar – März 1952; Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, März – April 1952; New York State Teachers College, Oneonta, April – Mai 1952; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, Juli 1952; Binghamton Museum of Fine Arts, Binghamton; Cedar Rapids Art Association, Cedar Rapids; Friends of Art,Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley; Hunter Gallery of Art, Chattanooga; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo; Kresge Art Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing; Pennsylvania State College; Quincy Art Club, Quincy; Schenectady Museum Association, Schenectady; Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; The Art Museum of Wellesley College, Wellesley; The Parthenon, Nashville; University of Delaware, Newark; Wells College, Aurora.
Lyonel Feininger, Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, München, September – Oktober 1954, und Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover, Oktober – November 1954, Nr. 21 (Titel: „New York, architektonische Komposition“).
Lyonel Feininger, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Dezember 1954 – Januar 1955, Nr. 21 (Abbildung; Titel „New York, Architectural Composition“).
American Artists Paint the City, American Pavilion, Biennale XXVIII, Venedig, Juni – Oktober 1956, S. 42 (Titel „New York Architectural Composition“).
Lyonel Feininger. Architecture, Willard Gallery, New York, März 1961, Nr. 3 (Titel „New York Architectural Composition“).
Selected European Masters of the 19th and 20th Centuries, Marlborough Fine Art, London, Sommer 1973, Nr. 22, S. 44 (Abbildung S. 45).
Klassische Moderne, Galerie Gmurzynska, Köln, Mai – August 1981, Nr. 41, S. 76 (Abbildung). (14808223) (12)



Lyonel Feininger,
1871 New York – 1956 ibid.

NEW YORK, ARCHITECTURAL COMPOSITION I, 1940

Oil on canvas.
61.2 x 92 cm.
Signed “Feininger” lower right. Stretcher inscribed “Lyonel Feininger 1940 Architectural Composition I New York” on the reverse.

Provenance:
Artist’s estate, New York.
Julia Feininger, New York.
Marlborough Fine Art, London & New York.
Connaught Brown, London.
Private collection London, (acquired at Connaught Brown in 2005).
Private collection England.

Literature:
Manny Farber, Feininger, Tack, and Burlin, in: Magazine of Art, vol. 36, no. 3 March 1943, pp. 107–109, 278.
Hans Hess, Lyonel Feininger, New York 1961, no. 400, p. 286 (ill.).
Achim Moeller and Stephan E. Hauser, Feininger and Tobey. Years of Friendship 1944 – 1956, New York 1991, p. 27 (title “New York Architectural Composition I”).
Achim Moeller (ed.), Years of Friendship 1944 – 1956. The Correspondence of Lyonel Feininger and Mark Toby, Ostfildern-Ruit 2006, p. 41 (titled “New York Architectural Composition I”).

Exhibitions:
Lyonel Feininger. Recent Paintings and Watercolors, The Buchholz Gallery Curt Valentin, New York, January – February 1943, no. 1.
Painting in the United States, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, October – December 1943, no. 191.
Lyonel Feininger and Marsden Hartley, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, October 1944 – January 1945, p. 47 (ill. p. 39, titled “New York, Architectural Composition”).
Lyonel Feininger, Poughkeepsie, February – March 1945; Boston Symphony Orchestra Hall, April 1945; Amherst College, May – June 1945; The San Francisco Museum of Art, July 1945; City Art Museum of St. Louis, September – October 1945; St. Paul Gallery and Art School, October – November 1945; Fort Worth Museum Art Association, December – January 1946; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, January – February 1946; Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, March – April 1946; J. B. Speed Memorial Museum, Louisville, April – May 1946.
New Paintings by Lyonel Feininger, touring exhibition (titled “New York, Architectural Composition”), Bozeman State College, Bozeman, 1949; Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, February – March 1949; San Francisco Museum of Art, April – May 1949; Portland Museum of Art, June 1949.
The City, touring exhibition, Workshop Centre of the Arts, Washington D.C., September – October 1951; Vassar College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, October – November 1951; Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, November – December 1951; Carleton College, Northfield, January 1952; Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, February – March 1952; Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, March – April 1952; New York State Teachers College, Oneonta, April – May 1952; University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, July 1952; Binghamton Museum of Fine Arts, Binghamton; Cedar Rapids Art Association, Cedar Rapids; Friends of Art, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley; Hunter Gallery of Art, Chattanooga; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo; Kresge Art Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing; Pennsylvania State College; Quincy Art Club, Quincy; Schenectady Museum Association, Schenectady; Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; The Art Museum of Wellesley College, Wellesley; The Parthenon, Nashville; University of Delaware, Newark; Wells College, Aurora.
Lyonel Feininger, Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, Munich, September – October 1954, and Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover, Oktober – November 1954, no. 21 (titled “New York, architektonische Komposition”).
Lyonel Feininger, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, December 1954 – January 1955, no. 21 (ill; titled “New York, Architectural Composition”).
American Artists Paint the City, American Pavilion, Biennale XXVIII, Venice, June – October 1956, p. 42 (titled “New York Architectural Composition”).
Lyonel Feininger. Architecture, Willard Gallery, New York, March 1961, no. 3 (titled “New York Architectural Composition”).
Selected European Masters of the 19th and 20th Centuries, Marlborough Fine Art, London, summer 1973, no. 22, p. 44 (ill. on p. 45).
Klassische Moderne, Galerie Gmurzynska, Cologne, May – August 1981, no. 41, p. 76 (ill.).