Provenance: Private collection Switzerland.

The present work “Die Donauquelle” by Anselm Kiefer brings together some of his leitmotifs, such as German history, nature, landscapes and water, as well as his use of a wide range of materials. The origins and the true beginnings of the source of the Danube have been discussed for decades. For a long time the source of the Danube was identified as being in the castle gardens of Donaueschingen, the town where Kiefer was born. Just as German history has strongly influenced him and his work, so also has the history of his home.

The subject of water is one which Kiefer has addressed repeatedly. Mark Rosenthal has said on this subject: "That [Kiefer] should focus once again on water is not surprising...These associations with birth and death, destruction and regeneration, establish a context for the watery setting in which the palette arises...the birth of the palette is...the first stage of life." (Rosenthal, Mark: Anselm Kiefer, Chicago and Philadelphia 1987, p. 72-74).