Hans Beers

Henri (Hans) Beers

(1891-1979)

Drawer, painter, book cover designer, scissor artist, wall decorator (paint and weaving), batik artist, glas window designer, linoleum and woodblock printer.

And then there was this print. On offer on a local auction site. Supposedly a linocut print on cloth 180 x 90 cm. The stunning design of fish and plants in a pond made me curious enough to do some research. The size suggesting this is a batik, a unique painting in wax, and dyed cloth. Or did he use multiple blocks printing the composition ?

Beers was a pupil of Chris Lebeau (1878-1945 Dachau, for helping Jews) and Samuel Jesserun de Mesquita (1868-1944 Auschwitz, for being Jewish), both famous and influential Dutch Art Nouveau artists. The woodcuts of Samuel J. de M. I shall show in a fortcoming posting.  Versatile artist Hans Beers probably married Go Volker who was also a batik artist.

I only managed to find one painting and the two other prints above by Hans Beers although he was awarded an exhibition in 1972 in Epe in the Netherlands.

1927 album cover designed by Hans Beers.

See for the fish and pond print: http://antiek-kunst.marktplaats.nl/kunst-designobjecten/436080243-linosnede-plasgezicht-hans-beers-art-deco-180-x-90-cm.html

NOID 11, and another, No.5

NOID 11

J. Prescher

"Archimandrill" send yet another example by printer J. Prescher. It appeared only recently on Ebay. These, convined to the local (German) market offers, often escape my searches. Unfortunatly. These finches on a branch are indeed a very desirable print and showing J. Prescher wasn't just another amateur printer. Thank you (again) for this nice surprise Archimandrill.

(Maybe the print would have looked like this when it was pulled from the block)

The birds btw. are Java Rice Sparrows or Rice Finch. Also called Java Temple bird (lat. Padda Oryzivora) a popular aviary bird.

Illustration by Rein Stuurman (Dutch, 1900-1984)

NOID 11 reaction and update.

Reader "Archimandrill" send me this nr. 4 print by artist J. Prescher from an archived German auction cataloque. Thanks you Charlie !

NOID 11: first and fast results

NOID 11 (2)

The combined force of the Internet and (Bloggers) is not to be underestimated. Two fast results concerning last posting on unidentified prints and printers.

J. Prescher, has still no identity but two more examples were found both from American sources indicating maybe this artist is an American from German descent. We have 3 prints now, all flower compositions. I perticularly like this red poppies print

And, one more example emerged by the hand of the German artist but whoms signature is not yet identified. Also 3 prints by him are now known. This print has some similarities with Martin Erich Philipp's (1887-1978) 1933 print "Japanische Quitte". That is for the bumble bee. Foxgloves (lat. Digitalis Purpurea) stealing the show here.

Martin Erich Philipp

Ernst Rötteken (1882-1945) also choose this decorative red flowering plant of the apple and pear family: Quince (lat. Chaenomeles Japonica). With Art Deco vase but without the bee. Thank you observant readers and please share any other examples or identifications if you know of them.

NOID 11, Spring cleaning

Spring Cleaning

Collecting prints and pictures of prints and their printmakers resulting in a (computer) drawer with many not identified prints and printmakers. Most of these prints I found when they were on offer on Ebay or displayed in auction catalogues. Sometimes the same but unknown maker showing up.

(1)

Flowerprints of Gentian and Daffodils

by unknown German printer

Today I again would like to ask the help of readers and visitors who might recognize one of these prints and or the makers.

(2)

landcape by noid printer

(no signature or monogram)

(3)

I read: "G(eor)g Brunner" this print was on Ebay recently

(4)

"Steglitze", Thistle finch

(5) Sunflowers, big linoprint by Dutch printer, monogrammed lower left M.D.

(40x60 cm !)

(6)

Two prints by same but unknown printer

(I read Garberg or Gasburg)

(7) Flower bouquet by J. Prescher (unknown printer) (8) "Enzian" or Gentian I read: Lisbet Sch......... (Schulte ?)

If you recognize any one of these prints ore printers please leave a comment or email me:

g.caspers@hccnet.nl

Use the Blogs search option for previous NOID posting by typing: NOID

When West meets East

Margaret Rankin
(1956- )

Canadian linocut printer.

When I stumbled over this picture (left) of a print showing "just" a nice pot I immediately was taken in by the great eastern atmosphere. Maybe also because of the red cartouche or printers seal. I know these pots. They are German clayware of the late 1960’s and 70’s. They were manufactured in West Germany. And very of the period. Everybody had them, we had them, we still have them.

I think they are so good I decided showing you all 8 vase prints I found. With Margarets permission.

There is a strong revival going on and these thickly glazed vases, nicknamed Fat Lava, are highly collectible and fashionable once again. Mass produced but handglazed. See for example:
http://www.retrotogo.com/2006/10/fat_lava_german.html. Or just Google Fat Lava pictures.

They have much in common with the centuries old design and mass produced storage (ginger) jars and Chinese and Japanese household ceramics.

I know of only one printer who took ceramics as a characteristic subject of his work. Japanese Haku Maki (1924-2000). His pots and tea ceremony cups printed in a mixed technique using cement/concrete blocks and woodblocks are without equivalent in the print making world.

Maki was one of the 10 chosen artists for James Michener's 1968 book: the Modern Japanese Print. He even had the courage to print "just a rock". And if you don’t know, at first glance you’ld swear it was a photograph. How much more Zen can you get. He made many more prints of fruits and japanese caracters etc.. but they fall outside the purpose of this posting.

I found only one other woodblock relief print of a solitary pot, this lovely little but great Ex-Libris by Tasaburo Takahashi (b.1904 - ) as simple and delicate as the pot itself. There is more proof telling Margaret knew of vases and ceramics Haku Maki.

Above Haku Maki, below Margaret Rankin

Haku Maku can not longer set himself doing a Germany made Fat Lava vase, but what if Margaret decided to do a classic Chinese or Japanese pot or gingerjar ?

She did after all do this great Becky Brown, 1951 pot . My favorite. Or is it the bleu one ?. Or the Polka Dotts ? I think I love them all !

Smaller pictures are mouse-clickable.

Visit Margaret at:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/49727105/original-block-print-floor-vase-with
http://www.etsy.com/listing/590574/original-block-print-becky-brown-vase

There is even one or two (the last ones of the very small editions) for sale.