beechwood with continuous leaf gilding; carved depiction of the Greek sea god Triton with an unclothed woman, accompanied by floral and arabesque decorations on the sides; the upper section glazed on three sides, display case with two shelves; in the middle an extensible tray; one drawer; the lower section featuring a two-door cabinet; with two keys; on four rounded feet; the sides of the display cabinet decorated with diverse curved and round forms; traces of use, professionally restored; on the back an original label of the 1903 Kunstschau and a number: “Sächsische Kunstausstellung 1903 Dresden” with the number “126”, monogrammed C. St. on the front in the lower section; height 185 cm, width 75 cm, depth 72.5 cm. (MP)

Curt Stoeving became famous in the 1890s thanks to his oil portraits. His works were commissioned by, inter alia, Friedrich Nietzsche and Stefan George. He also made a name for himself as a sculptor and commercial artist. Together with Count Harry Kessler, he made the death mask of Friedrich Nietzsche in 1900. After the development of the Wertheim department store on Leipziger Platz in Berlin, architect Alfred Messel appointed Stoeving to the position of director of the exhibitions of modern living spaces at Wertheim in 1902. He retained this influential position until 1911. As a creator and designer of art objects, he set up furnished spaces both here and at national as well as international exhibitions, including those in Turin in 1902, Dresden in 1903 and 1906, and St. Louis in 1904.