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Leicester City Museums Service has a unique collection
of German art, most of which is from the early 20th
century. Of international importance, it has grown in
reputation since the first paintings were bought in
1944.
In July 1998 a truly remarkable donation was offered
to the Service, which is owned and operated by
Leicester City Council: four fragments of what had
been a very large painting, executed in oils on
blockboard. Three of the pieces had people as their
subject; the fourth, and smallest, showed a child's
praying hands. All the fragments bore the marks of saw
cuts along their edges and, apart from some scarring
and minor paint losses, they were in surprisingly good
condition.
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The donor was Ava Farrington who at the time, lived in
Heather, Leicestershire. The artist was her father,
Johannes Matthaeus Koelz, whose life and work have
remained largely unknown for six decades. The
fragments were from a triptych entitled 'Thou Shalt
Not Kill'.
Three years later, the four fragments would form the
backdrop to an exhibition that would break all visitor
records and introduce a new audience to art and social
history. The exhibition was called 'A Life Divided'.
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