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The Rat House, 1902

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
India ink, watercolor, spray technique on cadastral paper
31.6×38.9 cm

Artists

  • Alfred Kubin

    (Leitmeritz/Litoměřice 1877–1959 Zwickledt)

Unfortunately not on display at the moment
Lit as if by a pale moon light, the little lonely shed with its pent roof and chimney sits between bare trees and bushes in a foggy, sinister landscape. A broad path leads up to it like a driveway and directly approaches the tiny, wide open door. A seemingly infinite number of rats are streaming out of the shed, hastening along the broad path towards the foreground. At the fork in the road they disperse in all possible directions. They almost seem to be coming for the observers. The Austrian draftsman, graphic artist, book illustrator and writer Alfred Kubin (1877–1959), born in Leitmeritz in Bohemia, uses pen, India ink and spray technique to confront us with a truly archetypal and nightmarish vision of fear in the form of unchained masses of small, nimbly moving rodents streaming towards us.

MH, 2021

Object data

Artist/author
  • Alfred Kubin
Title
The Rat House
Date
1902
Art movement
Symbolism
Category
Graphic work
Material​/technique
India ink, watercolor, spray technique on cadastral paper
Dimensions
31.6×38.9 cm
Signature
Signed lower right using India ink: AKubin; designated and numbered lower left using pencil: Das Rattenhaus 1733; designated lower center using pencil: unten Lichteffekte [?]
Credit line
Leopold Museum, Vienna, Inv. 909
Inventory access
Contributed to the Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung in 1994
Selection of Reference works
  • Alfred Kubin. Bekenntnisse einer gequälten Seele, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Köln 2022 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 16.04.2022–24.07.2022).
  • Wien 1900. Sammlung Leopold, hrsg. von Diethard Leopold/Peter Weinhäupl, Wien u.a. 2009.
  • Alfred Kubin. Aus meinem Reich. Meisterblätter aus dem Leopold Museum, hrsg. von Rudolf Leopold/Romana Schuler, Wien 2002 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 05.10.2002-06.01.2003).
Keywords
housemagic/supernatural phenomenaratlow hill countryhut/cabin/lodgevegetationtree

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Max Morgenstern, Wien später London (vor 1938-1947);
Hertha Morgenstern, später Morton, London (1947-1962),
Bob William Morton, London (1962-1972); (1)
Auktion: 29.11.1972, Sotheby`s London, Drawings and Waltercoulours by Alfred Kubin from the Collection of the late Max Morgenstern of Vienna, Lot 3;
Franz Armin Morat, Freiburg im Breisgau (1972-1978); (2)
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (vor 1985-1994); (3)
Leopold Museum-Privatstiftung, Wien (1994)

  1. Sammlerstempel „Max Morgenstern, Wien XIII., Hietzinger-Hauptstrasse 34a“ auf der Blattrückseite; Sonja Niederacher, Dossier Max Morgenstern und Hertha Morgenstern, 21. Dezember 2009, S. 5f.
  2. Sotheby´s London, Auktionskatalog, 29.11.1972, S. 7, Hans Albert Peters (Hrsg.), Alfred Kubin. Das zeichnerische Frühwerk bis 1904, Stuttgart 1977, S. 296, Nr. 85; Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Katalog zur Ausstellung „Alfred Kubin. Das zeichnerische Frühwerk bis 1904, Wien 1977, Nr. 85
  3. Österreichische Länderbank u. Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Katalog zu „Alfred Kubin. Leben ein Abgrund“, Wien u. München 1985, S. 80, Nr. 37

For provenance related information, please contact us.

Search in collection

housemagic/supernatural phenomenaratlow hill countryhut/cabin/lodgevegetationtree