(Bregenz 1893–1939)
“Stilleben mit St. Sebastian”, signed, dated
R. Wacker 27 and on the reverse: “Rudolf Wacker Bregenz 1927, Stilleben mit St. Sebastian, oil, tempera on wood, 95 x 61 cm, framed

Full-page illustration and registered in:
Max Haller, Der Maler Rudolf Wacker 1893–1939, no. 57
(as oil on wood)
Rudolf Wacker und Zeitgenossen. Expressionismus und Neue Sachlichkeit, Bregenzer Kunstverein, Amt der Vorarlberger Landesregierung – Kunsthaus Bregenz, Vorarlberger Landesgalerie 1993, p. 237, ill. 248 (as mixed media on wood) – see p. 232, ill. 244 (ill. of the sculpture)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Vorarlberg

“Every single thing, even the most simple and lifeless, remains a complete mystery. And in the end, it’s really the pious realist who is the actual mystic.”
Rudolf Wacker, diary entry 28 October 1928.

After selling his “self-portrait” from 1927, Wacker was finally able to acquire the beloved figurine of
St. Sebastian. Before he sold the painting, however, he had experienced a very long period of hardship with almost no income at all. Wacker pulled through solely by falling into debt.
“We’re trembling with joy! I was really expecting to get some income from this exhibition and was certainly depressed to instead have had nothing but hassle and problems yet again. We can really only pay off all debts once and still be able to have a nice amount of money left over. I started painting a large still life composition after acquiring the borrowed St. Sebastian figurine, which is currently ours! Now I can laugh wholeheartedly about Pastor Pommer’s spiteful criticism.” (Vorarlberger Tagblatt and Lindauer Zeitung, Vorarlberger Landeszeitung - two responses from Dr. Prölss) (diary entry 9 August 1927)
On 23 July 1927, the “Vorarlberger Tagblatt” and the “Lindauer Tagblatt” published a critique by Pommer of the “Kreis-Ausstellung” in the Vorarlberger Landesmuseum, in which he personally attacked Wacker, writing: “Hurt deep down, in fact, offended, he (‘the art connoisseur and art-loving amateur’) retires from art of this kind.” The “Vorarlberger Landeszeitung” published a reply on 27 July 1927 with the title “For the painter from Bregenz, Rudolf Wacker.” It was written by Dr. Gustav Prölss, the secretary of the “Kreis.” This was followed by Pommer’s counter, then again one by Prölss, plus numerous letters to the editor, etc., so that an outright battle between the newspapers erupted over Wacker’s personage and his art. Wacker could identify with the suffering endured by St. Sebastian, a martyr who died for his beliefs. …
Rudolf Sagmeister/Kathleen Sagmeister-Fox, from the cited literature, Rudolf Wacker und Zeitgenossen.