?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
FERDINAND ERFMANN (1901-1968)
Turnen 7 (Gymnastics 7). Pen and ink and watercolor on paper. 210 x 152 mm; 8 1/4 x 6 inches. Unsigned. Title written in pencil on recto. Taped to mat.
Dutch painter Ferdinand Erfmann (Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1901-1968) is widely regarded for his mysterious, alienated existence and intentionally naïve artistic style, an interpretation of New Objectivism. Erfmann's robust and androgynous portrayals of acrobats, performers, cross-dressers, and prostitutes, referred to as ‘mastodons,' immortalize hidden nightlife subcultures of 20th century Netherlands. With his diary serving as the only repository for biographical information about the artist, Erfmann drew creative inspiration from his personal experiences as an actor, acrobat, and cross-dresser. Under-recognized during his lifetime, Erfmann's paintings are now the subject of numerous museum exhibitions in the Netherlands that highlight his presence and contributions to queer art history in Holland and beyond. His work is currently on view in The Art of Drag (April 12th, 2024-October 13th, 2024) at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem, Netherlands.
