The Neuschul Gift
In September 2023, Leicester Museums and Galleries was thrilled to accept a stunning gift from the Neuschul Estate of seven oil paintings by Ernst Neuschul. These works are all quite different to our existing holdings, providing a still life (Sunflowers), a figure in a landscape (Dead Tree) and depictions of the artist’s wife and first son as well as a brooding self portrait.
Published: 8 October 2024
The seven gifted artworks are now on display in the German Expressionist Gallery
Neuschul is known for his New Objectivity style and was an active member of the anti-fascist Novembergruppe, but unlike other artists associated with the movement, his works show a greater compassion for his subjects.
Because of his political views and his Jewish birth, which had cost him his job as Professor of Fine Art at the Berlin Academy of Fine Art in 1932, he finally fled Germany with his wife and child in 1939 on the last train to leave Czechoslovakia, eventually arriving in London. Initially he lived in Wales, having been helped over to the UK by David Grenfell, the Labour MP for Gower. In 1944 his paintings were exhibited at the National Museum of Wales, but there were no further UK displays of his works until 1978 when the Campbell and Franks Gallery mounted an exhibition of his works to coincide with the Hayward Gallery’s New Objectivity exhibition. In 1988 Leicester Museum and Art Gallery hosted a retrospective of the artist’s work and helped to bring the artist to much greater recognition. The museum has continued to show Neuschul’s works – the Black Mother (acquired 1978) and Messiah (2007) paintings have been mainstays of the German Expressionist permanent galleries over the years, along with the Woman Making Up portrait gifted by the artist’s sons in 2014. We once again thank the Estate for their generosity.
Gallery
Sick Girl (Girl in Bed)
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Sunflowers
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Dead Tree (Unemployed Man)
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Christl in her Red Beret
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Christl with Misha
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Portrait of Christl with dedication
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Self Portrait
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
Donated by the Neuschul Estate, 2023
For more information about the artist and our collection, please see our dedicated German Expressionism website.
All of Neuschul's works in Leicester's acclaimed collection are being celebrated in a new book 'German Expressionism: The Leicester Museums and Galleries’ Collection'. It presents a full catalogue of the collection over it's eighty year history, and explores the extraordinary journey of the artworks from Nazi Germany to Leicester. Available to buy now from the ART UK website.
All images of paintings © the Neuschul Estate.