Friday 2 September 2011

NOID (nr. 13, some Alpine problems)

In the footsteps of Steven's recent posting where he's showing a nice but not yet identified Austrian printmaker I grab this opportunity asking again ID-help for another also far from home, Austrian, linocut print of the Stephansdom in Vienna.

Steven's artist most certainly is Austrian illustrator Rudolf Köhl (1896-1966). With this information Steven even managed finding some more examples of Rudolf Köhl. Again a charming printmaker and some nice works lifted from obscurity combining efforts . 
In my Vienna print I fail properly reading the signature (Hübert/Sibert Z/Leclurg '29 or something). It's an Orig. Holzschnitt. I cannot find a clue on the www. It was found in a local Dutch sale.


Update 04-09-2011: Thanks to Klaus (see comments) the signature reads probably Hubert Lechner, Austrian illustrator, ex-libris and postermaker.

I think the artist did a fine job creating a good composition and using nice colours. It is remarkable that there are hardly any pictures, fotographs or works of art showing the Stephansdom from this side, from the South. At first I thought the print was mirrored but looking closely at the details in the church' facade this is not the case.

The artist must have been viewing the skyline of Vienna at an angle of approximately 45 degr. Estimating the distance from the print he would have been positioned at a location approximately around the old city walls looking down at walled court yard and a small tower. 




Click here for a great king-size 16th century woodblock map and a walk in medieval Vienna.




Speaking of travelling alpine woodblock prints and printmakers (in pré globalised Ebay days) with just one known print behind their name: here are some lonely prints from my not identified-yet files. Right: "Dolomiten" by an unknown but talented (Italian ?)  W. Eversta.




Left: "Winter in Einödsbach" by K. Schmidt-W. (sounds as a  warning not to confuse him with K. Schmidt-Rotluff). He is not in the "Deutsche Künstler Verzeichnis" of 1922. 
Right: Alpine meadow with church by Ellen Tornquist. Born June 26th 1871 in Hamburg. My recent researches on this lady printmaker with a Swedish family name, revealing she very undertakingly travelled around in Africa in 1903 ! From 1906 she worked as an artist from the city of Merano (Northern Alpine Italy). 
But also finding a (another?) contemporary Ellen Tornquist maried in 1906 to Swedens most famous missionary (and filmmaker) who dedicated his life working and pioneering in China's province of Xinjiang from 1904-1937. As did his wife from 1905-1923. To be continued (looking forward to any information and help).




Left: This example literally travelled from the Alps. As a best wishes card by an unknown printmaker. Very clever use of only two blocks to a maximum effect. Great little print. Some very good art work was edited in the interbellum as "Ansichtskarte". Very affordable and collectable. 








Right: Dorothea Milde (1887-1964): besides some black and white prints (many edited as Ansichtskarte) this is the only colour printed example I have found by this well educated German printmaker whom's prints were edited at the same editor as world famous Käthe Colwitz but after a life time of teaching drawing to school girls died old, poor and forgotten. I shall tell you more about her art and life story in a following posting.

4 comments:

  1. The Vienna print is probably by Austrian artist Hubert Lechner, who also designed posters for the Austrian tourist board.
    A very nice print!

    Klaus

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Klaus, this Germanic script is so difficult to read, last character an "r". You just have to know. I will look him up immediately.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shaun D'Arcy-Burt10 November 2015 at 01:37

    Hi Gerrie
    Looking back through your NOID post...
    The only K Schmidt -W I know would be
    Karl Schmidt-Wolfratshausen. He did a variety of alpine scenes and birds etc.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Shaun, you are absolutely right about KSW.Thanks !

    ReplyDelete