Conrad Felixmüller

Felixmüller, who left behind an extensive oeuvre of around 2,500 works, mostly devoted himself to everyday life in his works. Here, people are at the centre of his interest. In addition to many portraits, including those of his sons Lucas and Titus, he also created commissioned works such as the present painting.
Felixmüller places the little blond boy with a chequered shirt, high forehead and slightly reddened cheeks and ears in front of a window. The viewer's gaze is thus drawn from the child in the foreground to the window view. The painter places what is happening there almost equally in the picture. A dark-coloured limousine is parked there in the shade of trees, with a view of a larger estate behind it. Presumably the client, the cigar manufacturer Erhard Patzig from Klotzsche – a district of Dresden – wanted to emphasise his social status, of which his young son was not yet aware. He stands leaning against the window, looking innocent and well-behaved.
In 1931, the Patzig family had to cease production due to the Great Depression. But the history of the house continued: from 1935 to 1958, hats were made instead of cigars and until 1973, the local children ran riot here – in the kindergarten.

Spielmann 394.