(Oppeln 1865–1926 Flims) Lion with Defeated Scimitar Oryx, signed and dated W. Kuhnert 1894, oil on canvas, 32.5 x 54.1 cm, framed, (Rei)

Letter of authentication: Issued by Dr Angelika Grettmann-Werner, dated 8th September 2009 (registered in the Wilhelm Kuhnert catalogue raisonné as no. 6119). Wilhelm Kuhnert: The artist has long been recognised as one of the most important animal painters of his time. He succeeded in presenting African and Asian animals in their native environments, and demonstrating an immense knowledge of the characteristics of each species. The catalogue raisonné states that: “Instead of drawing on theoretical knowledge, as was previously the case and which indicated a lack of understanding of the environment in which the animals lived, Kuhnert drew on the fundamental knowledge he had gained about the African and Asian animal world and their habitats. The precision of his studies is reflected in their form so that, in addition to the precise anatomy of the animals and the appearance of the landscape, Kuhnert was able to demonstrate the relationship between animals and their environment and also, to a certain extent, to take the behaviour of the animals as his theme. Kuhnert used a mixture of descriptive realism and impressionism in presenting his subjects: This involved clearly defining the animal’s anatomy and individuality, but using only as much detail as was necessary to create a characterisation and to hint at the nature of the animal. In his landscapes, impressionist depictions of landscape details made way to create a unified and atmospheric effect which fully incorporated the animal. Kuhnert is the first German artist of open-air painting in the tropics.” (A. Grettmann-Werner, Wilhelm Kuhnert, Tierdarstellung zwischen Wissenschaft und Kunst, Hamburg 1981.)