4th annual portfolio of the ‘Brücke’ artists’ group (Schmidt-Rottluff)

Meike Hoffmann writes about this folder: "Up to that point, the annual folders had contained prints by various ‘Brücke’ artists; the first and third contained only woodcuts. Each year, just one artist contributed three prints using different techniques. The cover was designed by one of his colleagues. (...) This change of direction was interesting: precisely at a time when group dynamics were at their strongest, individual artists were given the opportunity to present themselves in detail, so that even the ‘passive members’ could develop an appreciation for the individual within the collective. Axel Gallén-Kallela’s woodcut ‘Girl and Death in the Forest’ from 1895 was also included in the folder. The print had already been planned for the previous, still mixed, third annual folder. However, the Finnish artist did not send his woodblock to Dresden for printing until the end of 1908. Schmidt-Rottluff expressed scepticism to Schiefler, as it was a relatively old work, quite in the Art Nouveau style (...). The fact that Gallén’s woodcut was nevertheless included in the folder demonstrates the ‘Brücke’ group’s consistent adherence to the principle of having no jury. Any member was free to exhibit and publish whatever they themselves deemed worthy." (Meike Hoffmann, Life and Work of the ‘Brücke’ Artists’ Group 1905 to 1913, Berlin 2005, p. 266ff.) | Moderne Kunst | Druckgrafik | Nummer: 26x2414 | Provenance: Kunsthandel Wolfgang Wittrock, Düsseldorf, 1993 (nur Gallén-Kallela); Sammlung Hermann Gerlinger, Würzburg, jeweils verso mit dem Stempel (Lugt 6032); Sammlung Olbricht, Essen/Berlin, seit 2022.

Estimate:£10,019.12

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