Beschreibung:

Hermann Hesse (Swiss/German, 1877-1962) Lot of Two Works: Ticino Lake View, Probably Lake Lugano, Montagnola, Switzerland and Summer Garden, Casa Rossa, Montagnola Lake inscribed, dated and initialed "Skizze 1926 HH." in pencil l.l. and l.c. respectively, inscribed "Hermann Hesse" in pencil on the reverse, watercolor on Ingres laid paper, sheet size 9 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. (23.5 x 19.7 cm); Garden initialed and dated "H. VII. 34" in pen l.l., also initialed "H." in pen l.r., inscribed "Hermann Hesse" in pencil on the reverse, ink on PMF Italia laid paper (probably Ingres), sheet size 9 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. (24.1 x 31.1 cm); both unframed. Condition: Lake with tape residue to u.r. and u.l. corners, subtle handling creases. Provenance: Gift from the late collection of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Polk, Long Island, New York and Midwale, New Jersey, to the present owner. N.B. Best-known as the author of Steppenwolf and Siddhartha. Hermann Hesse began painting in watercolor as early as 1916, and with vigor by 1919. Hesse sought refuge in Montagnola in 1919, after suffering some political pressure from German nationalists, the loss of his father and his wife's onset of schizophrenia. He settled into several rooms at the Casa Camuzzi, a country house with an exotic garden which inspired his short story, Klingsor's Last Summer, as well as his work in watercolor. After 1931, Hesse moved to the neighboring estate of Casa Rossa, where lived with his third wife Ninon Dolbin until his death. At Casa Rossa, he had a large plot of land for gardening, and he devoted himself to cultivating it. He came to regard gardening as a meditative practice, and this experience informed his serial-turned-novel, The Glass Bead Game. We wish to thank Regina Bucher of the Fondazione Hermann Hesse Montagnola for her assistance with cataloging the lot.