MUNICH.- “Märzenschnee: Der Bahndamm“ (1909) – A key work of German Expressionism is sold in the Evening Sale on June 6, 2025. The painting dates from Hermann Max Pechstein's early creative period and marked the decisive breakthrough in his artistic career. With its truly extraordinary provenance, it is also a profound reflection of German history.

The work is offered subject to an amicable agreement with the heirs of Fritz and Edith Andreae. The sale is based on a fair and just solution negotiated by Ketterer Kunst. The painting, estimated at €200,000–300,000, is sold without pending restitution claims.

Legendary breakthrough at the Berlin Secession

In the spring of 1909, Pechstein made his debut at the prestigious Berlin Secession exhibition with this painting – a momentous occasion that marked his artistic breakthrough. The show not only heralded his rise to public prominence but also enabled him to take a decisive step forward in his development, as the painting sold quickly. Pechstein used the proceeds to finance a longer stay in Nida, where he created some of his most important works.

First owner: Walther Rathenau

On the exhibition's opening day, Walther Rathenau purchased the work for 300 Reichsmarks. Rathenau, an industrialist, liberal intellectual, and later German Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic, was a patron of modern art. His purchase from the exhibition underscores the early appreciation of Pechstein's expressive power.

A visionary early masterpiece

Märzenschnee: Der Bahndamm (March Snow: The Railway Embankment) shows the glistening March sun over a railway embankment covered in snow – a motif that inspired Pechstein to adopt a new artistic style. The intense reflection of light in the spring snow, captured with expressive colors and bold shapes, transcends impressionist conventions and heralds Pechstein's mature expressionist style, which peaked in 1910. Similar works can be found in the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, while another work from this creative period is considered lost.

A provenance that mirrors German history

After Rathenau's assassination in 1922, the painting remained the family's property. It was part of the Walther Rathenau Foundation, which took over Walther Rathenau's residence in Berlin-Grunewald, including its inventory, in 1923. With the National Socialists' rise to power, the foundation was abolished in 1934. As a result of increasing repression, the Andreae family finally sold the work through the Berlin auction house Mandelbaum & Kronthal in 1936.

The sale at Ketterer Kunst follows an amicable agreement with the heirs of the former owners. The work represents not only Pechstein's transition to Expressionism, but also an eventful chapter in German history.