Ernst Schwitters
(Lysaker, Norway, 6 December 1970),
Catalogue of the Vienna Kunstforum, 2002
Thus almost the entire sculptural oeuvre of Kurt Schwitters disappeared. It must have amounted to about half his life's work, and he dedicated more time and effort to this than to all his other work.
- The only things that remain are the Merz Drawings - tiny, astonishing miracles of colour and form -, the larger and impressive Merzpictures, and his humorously philosophical Merz poetry.
And a myth - of the Merz Building.
Ernst Schwitters
to Dr Ronte (14 November 1992)
Many thanks for your letter of the 28th ult., which I was very happy to receive. For a time things looked bleak for the 3 sculptures to be re-created by Peter Bissegger...
.... My greatest concern is that some of my father's most important sculptures which were lost in London and on the island of Hjertoya should be recovered from their oblivion. They were central to my father's work,...
... The large sculpture is incidentally by far the largest my father made, and I have already paid Mr Bissegger for the reconstruction of the "Sailing Boat"...
... I can only express my most heartfelt thanks to the museum for jumping in the breach here. Only the Reclining Figure has yet to be decided on, but that can be discussed later, ...