Lot 6462
Julius Wentscher the Younger (1881 - 1961) - an Ottoman machine gun department, dated 1917
Orders and Military Collectibles until 1918 | A109m | Live auction | 1500 Lots
Description
Oil on canvas mounted on artist's board; signed and dated "J. Wentscher d.J. - 1917" at the lower left. Depicts field-grey soldiers camping with tents and campfires by a stream, with horses grazing in the background in front of a ridge. Titled on the reverse in pencil—partially illegible—"Türkische M.G. Abt. an der Karaga (?) ... Küste 1917" [Turkish Machine Gun Detachment on the Karaga (?) ... Coast 1917]. Housed in an ebonized wood frame with a gilded decorative molding. Image dimensions approx. 40 x 49 cm; frame dimensions 49 x 58 cm.An extremely rare depiction from the Turkish-Russian Caucasus front.Julius Wentscher Jr. was trained by his father and at the Académie Julian in Paris; he served in World War I and worked as a painter in Berlin from 1918 onwards. Following numerous study trips across Europe and Asia, Wentscher decided in 1933 not to return to Germany, living instead with his wife in locations including Indonesia, Siam, and Malaysia. In 1940, they were deported to Australia for internment; after their release, they remained there and became Australian citizens.Condition: II + Questions about the lot?
