A mystery and mystic print......

Johanna Goerke-Cassirer (b. 1942) 

Contemporary Berlin painter and graphic artist 

It took me also some time to "see the image" of the jazz players in Kandinsky's abstract woodblock print. And I am convinced one day I will see the mystery in this "Misterien" (1978, edition 5/10) print by contemporary Berlin artist Johanna Goerke-Cassirer (b. 1942) (thank you Wolfgang identifying the signature).

I "see" (in a beautiful and very Kandinsky colour combination) a robed King, Maria and her cousin Elisabet and a crowd in an "Old Master" painting setting. Having acquired it I dropped the artist a letter (email to her website). To let her know the travels of her work, my happiness, admiration and content and of course also to inquire what has her inspiration creating her "Misterien".....  almost half a century ago. 

Speaking of Kandinsky: Gabrielle Münter did his portrait in a woodblock print in1906. It was re-issued by a German happy smokers club (Radford's) in 2001 in a limited to members edition appearing in eBay occasionally. Since the real thing is not meant for (us) mortal print collectors .......... I think I saw a copy washing up recently.  

Vincent, in his self-portrait as an unhappy pipe smoker, used the same yellow and red combination. 

 

Although there are more Jewish Cassiser families, the artist's maiden name, Cassirer, to me as an amateur biographer makes curious. Is there a connection to Paul and his cousin Bruno: Berlins (and Germany's) most influential art dealers, gallerists and publicists 1900-1930, a century ago ?  

Paul Cassirer exhibited van Gogh's work in Berlin and owned some 55 works by Van Gogh. Both men ended their own life with a bullet. All things are connected .... creating a new circle of historic events connected to today and my new print. 

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