Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's painting Tanz im Varieté returns to public view at the Kunstmuseum Basel after being presumed lost for decades. The piece, painted in 1911, depicts a cakewalk dance and was auctioned for roughly €7m last year. Restored over several months, it is featured in the museum's Paarlauf exhibition until July 2027. The painting's tumultuous history includes damage sustained in WWII and its previous ownership by a private collector, with restoration highlights preserving its artistry while revealing traces of its historical trauma.
"The oil painting, which depicts a group of people performing the cakewalk—a dance that originated among African American slaves in the 19th century—is last thought to have been exhibited in Berlin in 1923."
"Tanz im Varieté unexpectedly came up for auction last year at Ketterer Kunst in Munich and was purchased by the Swiss-based Im Obersteg Foundation for around €7m."
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