He was born in Augsburg, but was mostly active in Berlin, until he too had been classed as “degenerate” in 1933 and forbidden to paint by the authorities. Kunz returned to his parents in Augsburg, where he continued to paint in secret.
He had absorbed numerous influences from his colleagues and created his personal style, combining elements of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) with Surrealism and Art Deco. Among these works was his 4ft 4in x 3ft 6in (1.31 x 1.06m) canvas Boxkampf (Boxing Match) from 1938.
It is being sold on October 24 by Döbritz in Frankfurt as part of the 200th auction and is estimated at €4400.
War tragedy
On account of a heart complaint Kunz was not sent to fight, but served as a paramedic throughout the war. Tragedy struck in February 1944, when Augsburg was extensively bombed. His parents’ house went up in flames and only some 30 paintings and several wooden sculptures survived the fire.
Kunz continued to paint after the war: in the auction are three more of his works from the same German private collection. They date from 1945, 1950 and 1962 and are expected to bring between €2500 and €5500 apiece.
