Oil on fibreboard
Germany, 1949
Arthur Kampf (1864-1950) – German history painter
Signed and dated lower right ‘A. Kampf 1949’
In superb openwork stucco frame
Dimensions: 91 x 67.5 cm
Good condition
Provenance: Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia
Impressive depiction with rich figural scene; painting by Kampf fetch up over €18,000 on the international auction market

In the present work from 1949 Arthur Kampf depicted a scene from hell. Surrounded by steep cliffs, he shows a cluster of naked people, quarreling, making loving, embracing, strangling each other. Standing on a ledge, Satan, wearing a crown and a red cape, observes the frivolous activities.

Here, the artist chose a subject matter, which has fascinated artists since time immemorial. Numerous painters, from Hieronymus Bosch to William Blake, have created various representations of hell – often inspired by Dante's narration of the Inferno in his Divine Comedy.

With recourse to the painterly elements of the New Objectivity, Kampf created a composition in muted colors and with a richness of detail reminiscent of the old masters, which may also be understood as an allegory of the war.



The painting is signed and dated lower right ‘A. Kampf 1949’. It is in good condition with some paint flakings, mainly along the edges and in the lower right area. The frame shows some chips and losses. The framed work measures 118.5 x 96.5 cm, the fibreboard measures 91 x 67.5 cm.



Arthur Kampf (1864-1950)

Arthur Kampf studied at the art academy in Düsseldorf under Peter Janssen the Elder. Afterwards he took a position as an assistant teacher initially and then as a professor at the academy. In 1898 he moved to Berlin. Here he became a member and later President of the Royal Academy of Arts. From 1915 to 1925 he was director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. As a history painter Kampf created numerous monumental commissions and paintings with allegorical and historical or war themes. The majority of Kampf’s oeuvre is now lost or was destroyed in the war. (tfa)

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.

Due to the legal obligation for the resale royalty in the art market the following applies: As a result of its membership in the AV Kunst, Auctionata charges additionally to the hammer price the contribution to the AV Kunst of currently 2.1% of the revenues from the sale of fine arts and photographs pro rata towards the buyer. More information about royalty right in our T&C.