Gouache , watercolor, color pen and chalks. Signed (partly in ligature) and dated in the lower right. 48 x 58 cm. , the full sheet. [CH].
In 1921, the year this painting was created, Pechstein discovered Leba on the Baltic Sea as his new artistic retreat. The town became his second home until 1945. - During this critical year, the artist met his future wife, Marta Möller, in Leba. - In this drawing, Pechstein combines the idyllic scenery with bold color accents, a dramatic sense of depth, and a narrative layer to create a richly detailed composition. - In the year it was created, and the following year, the artist also used this motif in his paintings, among them 'Sonnenuntergang' (Sunset, Nationalgalerie, Berlin) and 'Brücke in Leba' (Narodni Galerie, Prague).
LITERATURE: Ariane Grigoteit, Landschaften eines Jahrhunderts. From the Deutsche Bank Collection, Frankfurt am Main 1999, p. 161 (illustrated).

Auf Papier. Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts aus der Deutschen Bank, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main, March 3-April 30, 1995; Berlinische Galerie, Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Photographie und Architektur, Berlin, May 18-July 2, 1995; Museum der bildenden Künste, Leipzig, August 10-September 24, 1995, p. 242, cat. no. 141 (illustrated on p. 243)

Private collection, Israel. Galerie Michael Hasenclever, Munich. Deutsche Bank Collection (acquired from the above in 1991). Private collection, South Germany (acquired from the above)

Very appealing overall appearance. The sheet is slightly browned, margins slightly sunned. The reddish watercolour tones are slightly faded, while the green and blue tones are fresh and vibrant. There are a few small studio marks and water spots, which do not impair the overall impression. There is a small irregularity in the paint in the centre of the upper edge of the sheet. With a small crease in the centre of the lower edge of the sheet.