The White Man

Lyonel Feininger

El hombre blanco

Feininger, Lyonel

Nueva York, 1871 - 1956

The White Man, 1907

© Lyonel Feininger, VEGAP, Madrid, 2016

Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection
Location: Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid

Oil on canvas

68,3 x 52,3 cm

CTB.1972.15

Artwork history

  • Estate of the artist

  • Kunstsammlungen zu Weimar; Nachlass Feininger, 1923-1930

  • Estate of the artist

  • Julia Feininger, New York, c. 1956

  • Marlborough AG, Vaduz

  • Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Lugano, 1972

  • Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection

1931

Lyonel Feininger, Berlín, Nationalgalerie (Kronprinzenpalais), n. 1, p. 11. Como: "Früher als Leihgabe im Weimarer Museum, 1930 entfernt"

1966

Lyonel Feininger 1871-1956. A Memorial Exhibition, Pasadena (CA), Pasadena Art Museum; Milwaukee (WI), Milwaukee Art Center; Baltimore (MD), Baltimore Museum of Art, n. 1. Como: "Mrs. Julia Feininger, New York"

1972

Masters of the 19th and 20th Centuries, Londres, Marlborough Fine Art, n. 20

1973

Lyonel Feininger 1871- 1956, Múnich, Haus der Kunst; Zúrich, Kunsthaus Zürich, n. 67, p. 77, lám.

1975

Moderne Kunst aus der Sammlung Thyssen-Bornemisza, Bremen, Kunsthalle Bremen, n. 19, s.p., lám.

1976

The Origin of the 20th Century in the Collection Thyssen-Bornemisza, Tokio, Seibu Museum of Art; Kobe, Kyogo Prefectural Museum; Fukuoka, Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art; Ishikawa, Kanazawa Prefectural Museum of Art, s.p., lám.

1977 - 1978

La Collection Thyssen-Bornemisza. Tableaux modernes, Bruselas, Musée d'Ixelles, n. 26, s.p., lám.

1978

Collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza. Arte moderna, Lugano, Villa Malpensata, n. 31, s.p., lám.

1978

La collection Thyssen-Bornemisza. Tableaux modernes, París, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, n. 26, s.p., lám.

1984

Modern Masters from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Tokio, National Museum of Modern Art; Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, n. 29, p. 140, lám. p. 45

1984

Modern Masters from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Londres, Royal Academy of Arts

1985

Maestri dell'arte moderna nella Collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza, Florencia, Palazzo Pitti, n. 29, p. 145, lám. p. 47

1985

Moderne Malerei aus der Sammlung Thyssen-Bornemisza, Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum; Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle, n. 29, p. 146, lám. p. 47

1985 - 1986

Maîtres Modernes de la Collection Thyssen-Bornemisza, París, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, n. 29, p. 153, lám. p. 55

1986

Maestros modernos de la Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Salas Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Biblioteca Nacional, Ministerio de Cultura; Barcelona, Palau de la Virreina, n. 29, p. 156, lám. p. 51

1989

Espressionismo. Capolavori della collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza, Lugano, Villa Favorita, n. 35, p. 92, lám. p. 93

1989 - 1990

Expressionism and Modern German Painting from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Washington (DC), National Gallery of Art; Fort Worth (TX), Kimbell Art Museum; San Francisco (CA), San Francisco Museum of Art, n. 4, p. 30, lám. p. 31

1990 - 1991

Espressionismo. Capolavori della Collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza da Van Gogh a Klee, Roma, Palazzo Ruspoli, n. 9, p. 52, lám. p. 53

1991

Lyonel Feininger. La variante tematica e tecnica nello sviluppo del processo creativo, Lugano, Museo Cantonale d´Arte, n. 29, p. 43, lám.

1998 - 1999

Lyonel Feininger. Von Gelmeroda nach Manhattan. Retrospektive der Gemälde, Berlín, Neue Nationalgalerie; Múnich, Haus der Kunst, n. 6, pp. 52, lám. p. 53 [sólo en Berlín]

1999

Aufstieg und Fall der Moderne, Weimar, Kunstsammlungen zu Weimar, n. 191, p. 301, lám.

2000

Del post-impresionismo a las vanguardias. Pintura de comienzos del siglo XX en la Colección Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Valencia, IVAM Centre Julio González, n. 22, pp. 78, 80, lám. p. 79, det. p. 81

2000 - 2001

La Révolte de la couleur. De l'impressionnisme aux Avant-gardes. Chefs-d'oeuvre de la Collection Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Bruselas, Musée d'Ixelles, n. 40, pp. 126, 128, lám. p. 127, det. p. 129

2003

Grotesk! 130 Jahre Kunst der Frechheit, Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle; Múnich, Haus der Kunst, n. 71, p. 105

2003 - 2004

Lyonel Feininger. Menschenbilder. Eine unbekannte Welt, Hamburgo, Hamburger Kunsthalle, n. 51, p. 59, lám.

2004 - 2005

Comic Grotesque. Wit and Mockery in German Art, 1870-1940, Nueva York, Neue Galerie New York, n. 45, p. 119, lám.

2006 - 2007

Deutsche Expressionisten: mit Meisterwerken aus der Sammlung Thyssen-Bornemisza, Viena, Leopold Museum, p. 160, lám. p. 161

2008 - 2009

¡1914! La Vanguardia y la Gran Guerra, Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza - Sala de las Alhajas, f.c. [se incorporó a la exposición el 20.11.08 sustituyendo a otro cuadro devuelto a su propietario]

2011 - 2012

Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World, Nueva York, Whitney Museum of American Art; Montreal, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, n. 30, p. 250, lám. p. 30

2017

Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956). Fundación Juan March. 17 February - 28 March, Cat. 77, p. 113.

2020 - 2021

German Expressionism from the Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. Cat. 77, p. 216-217.

  • -Schardt, Alois: “Lyonel Feininger”. Feuer I. 1919-20, pp. 429-40, cit. p. 429 ss, lám. p. 430.

  • -Hess, Hans: Lyonel Feininger. London- New York, W. Kohlhammer, 1961, n. 23, p. 41, lám. p. 173.

  • -Kiel, Hanna: The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection of Modern Paintings. Castagnola, Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, 1974, p. 32, lám. p. 33.

  • -Modern Masters from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Tokio, National Museum of Modern Art; Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art [Exhib. Cat.], 1984, n. 29, p. 140, lám. p. 45.

  • -Maestri dell’arte moderna nella Collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza, Florencia, Palazzo Pitti [Exhib. Cat.], 1985, n. 29, p. 145, lám. p. 47.

  • -Moderne Malerei aus der Sammlung Thyssen-Bornemisza, Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum; Düsseldorf, Städtische Kunsthalle [Exhib. Cat.], 1985, n. 29, p. 146, lám. p. 47

  • -Maîtres Modernes de la Collection Thyssen-Bornemisza, París, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris [Exhib. Cat.], 1985, n. 29, p. 153, lám. p. 55.

  • -Maestros modernos de la Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Salas Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Biblioteca Nacional, Ministerio de Cultura; Barcelona, Palau de la Virreina [Exhib. Cat.], 1986, n. 29, p. 156, lám. p. 51.

  • -Luckhardt, Ulrich: Lyonel Feininger, die Karikaturen und das zeichnerische Frühwerk: derWeg der Selbstfindung zum unabhängigen Künstler, mit einem Exkurs zu den Karikaturen von Emil Nolde und George Grosz. Munich, Scaneg, 1987 , pp. 42 ss.

  • -Luckhardt, Ulrich: Lyonel Feininger. Munich, Prestel, 1989 , n. 1, p. 50, lám. p. 51.

  • -Vergo, Peter: Expressionism. Masterpieces from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. [Exhib. Cat.]. Lugano, Fondazione Thyssen-Bornemisza – Milan, Electa, 1989, n. 35, p. 92, lám. p. 93.

  • -Expressionism and Modern German Painting from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Washington (DC), National Gallery of Art; Fort Worth (TX), Kimbell Art Museum; San Francisco (CA), San Francisco Museum of Art [Exhib. Cat.], 1989, n. 4, p. 30, lám. p. 31.

  • -Tobien, Felicitas: Lyonel Feininger. Bristol, Artline, 1989, p. 24, lám. p. 25.

  • -Espressionismo. Capolavori della Collezione Thyssen-Bornemisza da Van Gogh a Klee, Roma, Palazzo Ruspoli [Exhib. Cat.], 1990,  n. 9, p. 52, lám. p. 53.

  • -Lyonel Feininger. La variante tematica e tecnica nello sviluppo del processo creativo, Lugano, Museo Cantonale d´Arte [Exhib. Cat.], 1991, n. 29, p. 43, lám.

  • -Vergo, Peter: Twentieth-century German Painting: the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. London, Sotheby’s Publications, 1992, n. 10, pp. 68-71, lám. p. 69.

  • -Lyonel Feininger. Von Gelmeroda nach Manhattan. Retrospektive der Gemälde. März, Roland (ed.). [Exhib. Cat.  Berlín, Neue Nationalgalerie; Múnich, Haus der Kunst]. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preussischer Kulturbesitz und G + M Verlag Berlin, 1998, n. 6, p. 52, lám. p. 53 [Sheet by Ulrich Luckhardt]

  • -Bothe, Rolf: “Paul Klee und Lyonel Feininger in den Ausstellungen der Weimarer Kunstsammlungen von 1920 bis 1930”. Weimar 1999, pp. 274-281, cit. p. 278.

  • -Aufstieg und Fall der Moderne. Bothe, Rolf y Föhl, Thomas (eds.). [Cat. exp. Kunstsammlungen zu Weimar]. Weimar, Kunstsammlungen zu Weimar – Ostfildern-Ruit, Hatje Cantz, 1999, p. 301, lám. [Sheet by Rolf Bothe]

  • -Del post-impresionismo a las vanguardias. Pintura de comienzos del siglo XX en la Colección Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Valencia, IVAM Centre Julio González [Exhib. Cat.], 2000, n. 22, pp. 78, 80, lám. p. 79, det. p. 81.

  • -La Révolte de la couleur. De l’impressionnisme aux Avant-gardes. Chefs-d’oeuvre de la Collection Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, Bruselas, Musée d’Ixelles [Exhib. Cat.], 2000,  n. 40, pp. 126, 128, lám. p. 127, det. p. 129.

  • -Crepaldi, Gabriele: Expresionistas. Los protagonistas, los grupos, las grandes obras. Milan, 2002, pp. 68-69, lám.

  • -Lyonel Feininger. Menschenbilder. Eine unbekannte Welt. [Exhib. Cat.]. Hamburger Kunsthalle – Ostfildern-Ruit, Hatje Cantz, 2003.

  • -Luckhardt, Ulrich: “Lyonel Feininger. Menschenbilder”.  Hamburger, 2003, pp. 9-18, cit. p. 10.

  • -Grotesk! 130 Jahre Kunst der Frechheit, Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle; Múnich, Haus der Kunst [Exhib. Cat.], 2003, n. 71, p. 105.

  • -Colección Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza. Arnaldo, Javier (ed.). 2 vols. Madrid, Fundación Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, 2004, vol. 2, p. 380, lám. p. 381 [Sheet by Peter Vergo]

  • -Comic Grotesque. Wit and Mockery in German Art, 1870-1940, Nueva York, Neue Galerie New York [Exhib. Cat.], 2004, n. 45, p. 119, lám.

  • -Deutsche Expressionisten: mit Meisterwerken aus der Sammlung Thyssen-Bornemisza. Fuhr, Michael. [et. al.]. [Exhib. Cat.] Vienn, Leopold Museum, 2006, p. 160, lám. p. 161 [Sheet by Dietrun Otten]

  • -Arnaldo, Javier: “¡1914! La Vanguardia y la Gran Guerra”. Madrid 2008-2009, pp. 14-399, cit. p. 79, fig. p. 78.

  • -Arnaldo, Javier: ¡1914! La Vanguardia y la Gran Guerra. [Exhib. Cat. 2008-2009]. Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza – Fundación Caja Madrid, 2008.

  • -Haskell, Barbara: “Redeeming the Sacred: The Romantic Modernism of Lyonel Feininger”.  New York / Montreal 2011, pp. 1-197, n. 32, cit. p. 24, lám. p. 30.

  • -Haskell, Barbara: Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World. [Exhib. Cat. New York, Whitney Museum of American Art; Montreal, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 2011-2012]. New York, Whitney Museum of American Art – New Haven y London, Yale University Press.

  • -Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956). Fundación Juan March, 2017. Cat. 77, p. 113. (Exhib. Cat.).

  • – German Expressionism from the Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza [Exhib. Cat. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Solana, G.; Alarcó, P.], Madrid, 2020, Cat.  77, p. 216-217.

  • -Colección Carmen Thyssen. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. Ed. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, 2024. P. 384-385  [Sheet by Peter Vergo]

     

Expert report

In July 1906, Feininger left Berlin for a protracted stay in Paris. Having worked as a caricaturist for a succession of mainly humorous or satirical German magazines, it was perhaps natural that he should again gravitate towards literary and journalistic circles. Among the Parisian magazines for which he provided illustrations was Le Témoin, founded the same year by Dagny Björnson-Langen and the designer Paul Iribe. One of these illustrations was a drawing, compositionally identical to The White Man, entitled “Les regrets de M. Hearst, ” which appeared in one of the first issues ofLe Témoin in autumn 1906.

The White Man, which incorporates even the smallest details of this drawing, was completed in Paris a year later, in autumn 1907. It is among Feininger’s earliest paintings in which he takes the human figure as his theme. In a letter written shortly after his arrival in Paris, he affirmed his determination to devote himself henceforth more to painting and less to drawings and caricatures. According to an old inscription, the artist considered this to be the second painting of his Parisian period, by which he presumably meant his second painting on canvas, discounting an earlier series of small-scale, Impressionistic landscapes done earlier the same year.

The title given to the published drawing has provoked speculation about the meaning of the painting but was almost certainly invented by the magazine’s editor. Although the figure of the man in a white suit with hat and pipe may well have suggested the image of an American newspaper baron, it is most unlikely that Feininger intended it as a portrait of his compatriot William Randolph Hearst. More plausible is the suggestion that the “white man” may have been a satirical self-portrait. There is an undeniable resemblance between the spindly figure with its exaggeratedly long legs and enormous feet and the artist’s own depiction of himself in the Chicago Sunday Tribune (29 April 1906) introducing the paper’s new “comic supplement” The Kin-der-Kids. On the other hand, Ulrich Luckhardt, the most recent author to have written extensively about Feininger, emphasises that there is “no supporting evidence” to prove that the artist painted The White Man as a representation of himself.

Because of the discrepancy in scale between the two figures, it is easy to overlook altogether the smaller “black man” who appears in the background scurrying along between the legs of the purposely striding principal figure, as if bent on distracting him or tripping him up. If, however, the suggestion that the “white man” was conceived as a self-portrait is at least plausible, then the “black man” surely represents some sort of alter ego, perhaps signifying the darker side of the artist’s personality. That Feininger’s drawings and caricatures of this pre-war period did sometimes have a more profound psychological significance is shown by other, stylistically related works, for example the ink drawing Melancholy of 1911.

As Luckhardt points out, the background against which the figures are set depicts a specific Parisian location: a view along the rue Clovis, with the distinctive outline of the Tour Ste. Geneviève seen in the middle distance. It is based on one of Feininger’s rapidly executed “nature notes, ” a pencil study dated 8 November 1906, in which the artist has faithfully captured the same architectural details.

Peter Vergo

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