Carl Felkel, 1930s Self Portrait Painting, From Collection of Seymour Stein

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Description

This listing is for a phenomenal portrait painting.

The oil on canvas painting dates to the 1930s and is a … Read more This listing is for a phenomenal portrait painting.

The oil on canvas painting dates to the 1930s and is a self portrait of Carl Felkel.

The portrait depicts Felkel as a young man, with strikingly blue eyes and a brown coat.

Carl Friedrich Felkel was born in Stockerau, Austria-Hungary (now Austria) in 1896.

Felkel first studied under Walter Thor in Munich. In 1918, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and studied under Hans Tichy. There, he became a master student under Professor Rudolf Bacher.

In 1938, Felkel fled Austria for England, settling in London around 1938, as a result of the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany). He was most likely of Jewish descent.

In London, he exhibited at the Goupil Gallery and became a member of the Free German League of Culture.

In June 1940, Felkel was interned at Hutchinson Camp on the Isle of Man for being an 'enemy alien." He was among the 14 signatories (also including Hermann Fechenbach, Erich Kahn, Fritz Kraemer, Herbert Mankiewicz, Hermann Roessler, Kurt Schwitters, Fred Solomonski, Erich E. Stern, Fred Uhlman and Hellmuth Weissenborn), who wrote to Sir Kenneth Clark, director of The National Gallery, protesting that 'Visual Art cannot live behind Barbed Wire." They appealed for release.

After his release, Felkel exhibited at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1944. He also carried out work for the Austrian Centre, designing the layout of the Bildende Kunst in Österreich publication.

Carl Felkel passed away in 1980 at 174 Holland Park, London. His work is represented in UK public collections such as Derby Museum and Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery.



This painting comes from the collections of the late Seymour Steinbigle (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023), better known as Seymour Stein.

Stein was an American entrepreneur and music executive remembered for his roles as co-founder of Sire Records and vice president of Warner Bros. Records.

Stein signed some of the most famous pop and rock bands (and musicians) of the 1970s and 1980s, including Talking Heads, The Pretenders, and Madonna. Stein was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

Stein had amassed a collection of fine art when he passed away. This painting was once in Stein's London office at 83 Baker Street. There is still a Warner Bros Records label on the reverse of the painting. Stein may have known Felkel.

The entire framed piece measures 26.25 x 30.25 inches See less