Eugen Spiro (Polish / American, 1874-1972) - Italian Country...

Estimate

£2,500 - £4,000

Eugen Spiro (Polish / American, 1874-1972) - Italian Countryside - 1934.
An early 20th century oil on canvas painting, believed to be depicting a landscape of an Italian countryside with mountains in the background. Signed & dated bottom right. Framed. Measures approx. 48.5cm x 59.5cm excluding frame.

Eugen Spiro was born into a Jewish family in Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland) 18 April 1874. 
Declared ' degenerate ' by most articles of the time by Nazi German, in 1935, Spiro fled to Paris, co-founding, co-directing and chairing the Union des Artistes Libres.
Forced to flee again in 1940, travelling via Spain and Portugal to the USA, where he settled in New York and painted landscapes and portraits of his German-Jewish circle including Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann and Artur Schnabel. Eugen Spiro died in New York, United States on 26 September 1972.

PROVENANCE: The current owner's grandfather, Henry Auguste Green, was a mineral 'prospector' who went on to found the company ' Murex ' at Romford, London. Henry Auguste Green knew, through his business contacts a German industrialist, Herr Stark. Stark and his wife, who was Jewish, both survived WWII and personally knew Eugen Spiro. 

It was Herr Stark that persuaded Henry A. Green to purchase numerous Spiro's paintings. The sale of said artworks helped finance Spiro and his family escape to safer countries. The current owner met Mr. Stark in his younger years and has kept in contact with Spiro's son, Peter.

Peter Spiro and his daughter Elizabeth confirmed the entire story during regular encounters in London in recent years. Peter sent numerous Christmas cards throughout the years. The most poignant being his last, with the following inscription: ' To Chris and to the memory of two more Green generations, very late but cordial Seasonal Best wishes from Peter and Elizabeth. Murex, my Paris and London help.' 

These two paintings are the last of the Green Collection.