(Stribach near Lienz 1868–1926 St. Justina near Bozen)
‘Madonna’, c. 1922, signed Egger-Lienz, oil on cardboard, 56 x 49.3 cm, framed

Certificate:
Dr. Carl Kraus Innsbruck, 6 June 2008 (email available):
The original painting that I evaluated is one of the diverse versions or replicas of the popular painting ‘Madonna’ by Albin Egger-Lienz (Stribach near Lienz 1868-St. Justina near Bozen 1926). The motif, as with that of the ‘Holy Night’ (with shepherds), goes back to Egger’s composition ‘Christmas Eve’ of 1903/05 (Museum Schloss Bruck, Lienz). Wilfried Kirschl, to whom I showed a photograph of the current painting yesterday, lists the following eight oil paintings of the ‘Madonna’ in the catalogue raisonné of his monograph on Egger-Lienz (2nd edition, Vienna-Munich,1996)... The present painting ‘Madonna’ does not appear in the catalogue raisonné by Kirschl. The various versions of the ‘Madonna’ differ relatively little from each other in composition. Characteristic for the current work is the Madonna in a green dress as well as the staff leaning at the left and the two indicated steps (both of these are missing in the version of Schloss Bruck amongst others). The pastose manner of painting as well as the golden tone in the colours correspond to Egger-Lienz’ works of the 1920s. The state of preservation of the painting is in general good; a few small scratches and light creases in the cardboard…

Compare:
Wilfried Kirschl, Albin Egger-Lienz, vol. II, Christian Brändstätter Verlagsgesellschaft, 1996
Catalogue raisonné, M554 Madonna and child, 1921, (Madonna in a blue dress) owner: Museum Schloß Bruck, Lienz
M555 replica probably around 1920/22, Private Ownership Bozen
M556 replica,1922, Private Ownership Vienna
M557 replica (Madonna in a red dress), owner unknown
M558 replica c. 1925, owner unknown
M559 replica, 1925 (Madonna in a green dress), owner unknown
M649 probably 1919 (horizontal format, almost exclusively in brown colours), Private Ownership Innsbruck; M681-c.1920, Private Ownership Bruneck)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Vienna