Lot 14 Dα

Alongside bookworms, hermits, soldiers and poets, one of the many “eccentrics” depicted in Spitzweg's oeuvre included the figure of Hagestolz – the inveterate, somewhat grumpy bachelor. The German term “hagestolz”, which is somewhat outdated today, originates from Middle High German and is derived etymologically from the older term ‘hagestalt’, which referred to the owner of an enclosed ancillary property, the small size of which did not allow for the founding of a household.

Spitzweg prepared his Hagestolz composition in numerous preparatory drawings and studies that all display a specific arrangement: Spitzweg described the straight line in the distance as ‘An important horizontal’. In contrast, the figure of the Hagestolz protrudes vertically into the space, so that the composition is determined by one horizontal and one vertical line.

This image depicts a tall, slender man seen from behind. His sharply contoured, stiff posture and elegant clothing consisting of a black frock coat and top hat sets him apart from the other people. Only a hint of a black moustache is visible on his face. The figure holds a thick manuscript or book behind his back and under his right arm, suggesting that the proud Hagestolz has dedicated his life to the study of literature.

This outward appearance seems to express a conservative attitude and isolation from the rest of the world. We can only speculate as to whether the secluded bachelor felt confirmed in his independence or whether he observed couples and families with melancholy. Carl Spitzweg himself never married - perhaps he would have liked to.

Until 1938, the painting belonged to the collection of the Jewish publishing director Dr Henri Hinrichsen (1868-1942). Through his social commitment and patronage alongside his work as a music publisher (Edition Peters), Hinrichsen earned himself lasting renown as a respected citizen of Leipzig. However, he did not survive the racial fanaticism of the National Socialists and was murdered in Auschwitz on 17 September 1942. The painting was removed from the Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig as early as 1939, and has been managed under the Martha and Henri Hinrichsen Foundation, Chicago, since 1946. It was restituted to the heirs of Dr Henri Hinrichsen by the City of Leipzig in 2003.