Art Funded by you

Untitled (Togetherness)

Kurt Schwitters, 1945

Kurt Schwitters made these three hand-held sculptures during his years in exile in Britain. All three are excellent examples of his sculptural work using found objects and painted plaster.

Schwitters was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1887 and is now celebrated as one of the most significant figures of European Modernism. He is best known for his pioneering use of found objects and everyday materials to make abstract collages and installations.

After the Nazis came to power, Schwitters moved first to Norway and then to Britain, where he arrived in 1940.

These sculptures reflect the new direction and development of Schwitters’ art in Britain. Untitled (Togetherness) is a rare example of double standing forms, while Untitled (The Clown) suggests a human figure in a pointed hat, showing how Schwitters was able to combine human presence with abstraction. Stone demonstrates his method of transforming found objects with simple strokes of paint.

The subsequent ownership of the sculptures has a direct link to Schwitters; he bequeathed them to his partner Edith Thomas, who in turn left them to her son, Geoff. In 2016 he gifted them to his daughter, Elizabeth Wantee Craigee.

Few small sculptures from this period in Schwitters’ life survive and these works now illustrate an aspect of his practice not previously represented in Tate’s collection.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Untitled (Togetherness), 1945

Date supported

2018

Medium and material

Plaster, Stone, cardboard and plaster, painted

Dimensions

21.9 x 7.5 x 7

Grant

50000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

Art Funded by you FAQs

Why is this object record marked 'archive'?
Where can I see this work of art? Is it on display?
What is Art Fund's purpose?
How is Art Fund funded?
What type of funding do you offer?
What does the acquisition grants programme support and who can apply?
How many works of art has Art Fund helped museums to acquire?
I’m a curator/researcher/arts professional and would like to find out more about this work, how do I get in touch?
I’m a journalist and would like to contact Art Fund about this work, how do I get in touch?
I would like to donate a work of art to a museum. What do I need to do?
I'd like to leave a gift to Art Fund in my will. How can I do this?

Contact us

If you have a question about a work of art in our archive, please contact the Programmes team. We’ll be happy to answer your enquiry.