Unknown Russian Female Torso woodblock

"Xylograph not ready yet. (This is) 1st print in process of preparation. Will send (the whole) work after finishing". 

This little treasure, a beautiful and academically posed female torso woodblock (wood-engraving) print, I was very pleased to swap recently: Euro's for Art. It came from Estonia, one of the Baltic States. The handwriting in the margins was translated by the friendly seller. Possibly a note from the unknown artist to an editor, perhaps of a book, scribbled on this "epreuve d'artiste" or "artist proof". Would I like to know and find the finished result and publication !

When looking for similar prints in execution (classic or academically posed female nudes in wood-engraving  and woodcut printing) you'll find not that many examples. American wood-engraver Paul Landacre (1893-1863) is one of the artists that comes to mind (above). 

And also British sculptor (very discussed because of his obsessive life-stile)  Eric Gill (1882-1940) but they have strong personal and clearly different styles.

And there is German born American Emil Ganso (1895-1941), who was a painter and wood-engraver specialized in still-lives, landscapes and nudes. He was largely self-taught and emigrated, penniless, to the US in 1912 working as a baker pursuing his art until being discovered in the mid-1920's. 

All pictures borrowed freely from the internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only. 

    

More Bathers, Badende (2/3)

More Bathers (Badende) in print (2/3)

Following Emil Ganso's “Bathers” (L, posting march-24) and my stream of consciousness here are some more examples and variations on a theme. In a similar arrangement John Buckland-Wright's (1897-1954) composition (R). 

Stephen J. Laurent (cont.)

"Badende" has in German a both singular and plural meaning. Limiting the vast number of works showing a bathing woman and bathing women depicted in art-in-general this posting is limited showing examples of multiple bathing females shown by printmakers. Starting with examples by German printmakers. 

German expressionist printmakers Erich Heckel (1883-1970), Otto Müller (1874-1930), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) and Max Pechstein (1881-1955) dedicated much of their lives and work to "Badende" prints both in color as in black and white. Others more incidentally turned to this theme like Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-1976) and Emil Nolde.

 Erich Heckel

Otto Müller 

 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner 

Max Pechstein

This particular theme, “bathers”, a mix of mythical Three Graces: Aglaya, Euphrosyne and Thalya devoted to Charm, Virtue, Beauty and Creativity,  and Nymphs: the divine spirits. Added to the idealised by men (how many of them actually have ever whitnessed such a gathering of women?) aesthetic beauty of female nudity in an arcadial setting and multiplied by 3.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (L.),  Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (R.)

One of the very few exceptions is made by Max Liebermann (1847-1935) who earlier (in the last years of 19th century) created his controversial and thought homo erotical etchings and paintings of bathing boys. An opinion we now consider phobic and pathetic of course. They are what they are. And great works of art.   

Alfredo Müller (1869-1939) who besides women must have had a great  admiration for Rembrandt.

 Hans Juchser (1894-1977)

The list of examples is sheer endless of course, these examples a personal choice. 

ADDED: 16 April 2012

German reader Michael Kriegeskorte send me this unsigned and not monogrammed expressionist "Badende" print. Please help with identification (possibly Walther Klemm ?)

Emil Ganso: Bathers (Badende) (1/3)

Emil Ganso

(1895-1941)

American painter and woodcut printmaker,

 woodengraver, lithographer, etcher.   

Like Tor Otto Fredlin (1890-1950) in last posting, Emil Ganso wasn't predestined becoming an artist. He started his career as a baker in Germany, worked on board of the Germany-America Shipping Line and became, on the outbreak of WW1 an American citizen in 1914. Besides a self taught artist Ganso had to bake bread until 1924 when finally he could live of his art. Here's a good biography on the artist.  

A few weeks ago his print, "Bathers", was on offer at Ebay. It is a print uniquely made for "the Colophon", an American Art and Collectors Magazine in  februari 1933. It's executed in the wood engraving technigue and printed on mulberry paper. The Ebay offer went unnoticed and cheap. It however made me curious enough looking for more examples of Ganso's work and so  becoming aware of his fascination for bathing women. And ofcourse, he wasn't the only one.  

Besides famous for his still lifes, his interpretations of the female nude are highly praised. Besides in mine, I'm proud to say the Bathers print is also in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. 

Left: "Hilda" by Emil Ganso and right a great unexpected etching by Martin Erich Philipp (1887-1978) who besides his fascination for the macaws in Dresden Zoo that made him famous even in America and being a good etcher evidently had a similar aesthetic eye for the female back.

For centuries bathing women have been an inspiration to artists from ancient Greece to Rembrandt, Rubens and Picasso. Lower left ofcourse the famous pastel by French impressionist Pierre August Renoir. This Blog more or less following my stream of consciousness (or "monologue interieur") I've discoverd so many closely related and often unknown works of art I've decided dedicating one or two more posting to this theme. A theme that magicaly seems to turn ordinary(?) women into mythologic creatures, graces and nymphs. 

But first here are some more of Emil Ganso's graces and nymphs. Bathing, reclining, resting women executed in different mediums (oil, pastel, etching and woodcuts) and when seen together they share the natural, relaxed and at leasure almost dreamlike atmosphere. Also completely unaware of any artist or observer in bathroom, boudoir or lakeside. Quite differently from, for example, the direct and far more confronting photographic style of Anders Zorn whom's nevertheless great and astonishing etchings of bathing women I discussed recently in the Blog (here). 

 

Ganso's women have much more in common with the women of Felix Valloton (1865-1925) (above) 

Next:  more bathing women, graces and nymphs.