Property from the Estate of Ann Nisenson, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara
3
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Kopf Ludwig Schames (Head of Ludwig Schames)
- Estimate
- $25,000 - 35,000
$35,000
Lot Details
Woodcut, on soft wove paper watermarked UTO=BLOTTIN, with full margins,
1918
I. 22 x 9 3/4 in. (55.9 x 24.8 cm)
S. 22 3/4 x 16 5/8 in. (57.8 x 42.2 cm)
S. 22 3/4 x 16 5/8 in. (57.8 x 42.2 cm)
the second state (of three), signed in pencil, from the edition of approximately 120 impressions hand-printed by the artist for the Vereinigung für Neue Kunst, Frankfurt am Main, framed.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Appreciation goes to Professor Dr. Günther Gercken, Lütjensee, Germany, for his assistance in cataloguing this lot. Dr. Gercken has recently completed the fourth volume (1917-1919) of the catalogue raisonné of prints by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (Galerie Kornfeld Verlag, Bern, 2016).
This image is considered one of Kirchner’s most dramatic and monumental woodcut portraits of his much admired art dealer in Frankfurt, Ludwig Schames. Kirchner did not have access to a printing press at the time so he inked and rubbed every impression by hand which gave each one unique characteristics. Dr. Gercken notes over 25 impressions of the second state in institutions and museums around the world. The image Kopf des Kranken (G. 872, D. H327, S. H280) is carved on the reverse of this block.
Dieser Kunsthändler ist übrigens der einzige anständige, den ich kenne, ein richtiger Frankfurter Patrizier. (This art dealer is by the way the only honorable one I know of, a real Frankfurt Nobleman.) (Kirchner to Gustave Schiefler, August 12, 1919)
This image is considered one of Kirchner’s most dramatic and monumental woodcut portraits of his much admired art dealer in Frankfurt, Ludwig Schames. Kirchner did not have access to a printing press at the time so he inked and rubbed every impression by hand which gave each one unique characteristics. Dr. Gercken notes over 25 impressions of the second state in institutions and museums around the world. The image Kopf des Kranken (G. 872, D. H327, S. H280) is carved on the reverse of this block.
Dieser Kunsthändler ist übrigens der einzige anständige, den ich kenne, ein richtiger Frankfurter Patrizier. (This art dealer is by the way the only honorable one I know of, a real Frankfurt Nobleman.) (Kirchner to Gustave Schiefler, August 12, 1919)
Literature