Beschreibung:

GROSZ, George (1893-1959). Illustrated typed letter signed twice (‘George Grosz’ and ‘George le professeur’) to Lene [Cohn], n.p. [America], n.d. [c.1930s]. In English. One page, 278 x 215mm, illustrated with a watercolour caricature of the artist, note added on the verso in German in the hand of Eva Grosz. Provenance: Lene Cohn, wife of the businessman and collector of German Expressionism Erich Cohn – Estate of Roberta K. Cohn & Richard A. Cohn – Doyle, 13 April 2016, lot 331. ‘Let’s be cheerful, let’s have a little laugh once in a while, don’t you think?’ A humorous watercolour self-portrait showing the artist in despair after forgetting the birthday of Lene Cohn, his friend and wife of the German Expressionist art collector Erich. Grosz dives immediately into his apology: ‘Lene, dear: yes here I am and so sorry I am just too late, I flopped again and I flunked it, I mean your birthday, Lene dear I want very much to apologise, you see my poor head was aching these last weeks and so I was mixed up and really did’nt [sic] know was it the 6 or the 16’. He begs her forgiveness, promising to send ‘a little Italian book about myself’ as a belated birthday gift; he hopes to see Lene and Erich soon and shares news of shared acquaintances, ending with a call for cheerfulness and his best wishes. George Grosz left Germany for the United States in 1933 – he lived there with his family until 1959, becoming a naturalised citizen. During his time in America, Grosz befriended Erich and Lene Cohn: the former a businessman and collector of German Expressionism. A portrait of Erich Cohn painted by George Grosz in 1938 was sold at Christie’s, New York in 2013 (9 May 2013, lot 382).