Varia

A varied posting with help requested to identify some more prints and printmakers. 

Graz: Grazer Dom and rooftops 

Printmakers Carl Rotky (1891-1977) and Norbertine von Bresslern Roth (1891-1978) both were natives of Graz, but I'm very curious about the signature on this rather nice woodblock print: W. (Wilhelm, Walter ?) Hörgler, Hirgler ? (see also the Monogram in the block: WH) 

Unknown Printmaker: Girl with a scarf.

Carl Moser (1873-1939) certainly was intrigued by scarfed and bonneted (Brittany) girls, but also by the fabric and patterns of lace, cotton, dresses, cloth etc.  He for ever was experimenting, changing and altering designs, horizons and compositions seaking perfection as I am planning to show in next posting.  

And because of the attention to fabric and patterns this print reminds me also of prints by illusive printmaker Dagmar Hooge (1870- after 1921).

Until a good signed example or copy shows up only the help of a reader who recognizes this print may help to identify.

Two forgotten Austrian printmakers

Helene Ladstätter

(1892* - d. 1970 Vienna)
(* this year is not confirmed !)

and 

Valerie Praschniker 

(1894-1972 Vienna)

"Fruhlingswind nach dem Winterstille”  by Helene Ladstätter.

Yesterday faithful reader Tom from (still wintery) Boston send me one of his spring puzzles with a very appropriate title. "Spring wind after Winters Quietness". A very fine print from his collections by an "unknown" printmaker, leading to this posting about two today hardly remembered Austrian printmakers. Maybe it will lead to spring in Boston. 

A little determination however resulting in this interesting posting. At least I think it is, composing and writing two more short biographies from what is available on the Internet and from my files and archive of bits and pieces. Hopefully this will lead to more new facts and discoveries soon. Please, if you have found this posting send all new information to share.   

Two examples of the same print possibly(?) color variations/trials by the artist.   

 Ladstätter, Helene   ( - died Vienna 1970)

Austrian printmaker. Known by these three fine alpine woodblock prints sold/auctioned in recent years in the USA and England. She exhibited in 1939 together with printmakers William Giles (1872-1939),  Yoshijiro Urushibara (1888-1953), Engelbert Lap (1886-1970) a.o. at Colnaghi Art Gallery in Bondstreet London. This firm in the 1920-30’s had strong connections with the art business in the USA possibly explaining the prints surfacing in the USA. She was probably a member of the “Verein für Bildenden Künstlerinnen Östereichs” (VBKÖ) because her 1970 obituary is kept in its archives.

She could be related to

Ladstätter, Ida (1892-1970)* an artist mentioned also working in Vienna and who worked closely with sculptor, printmaker and goldsmith Elisabeth Turolt-Grohmann (1902-1966) who had been a student of Norbertine Bresllern-Roth (1891-1978) in Graz 1915-1918 and  with Valerie Praschniker (1894-1972) who - a co-incidence ?- created woodblock prints very similar in execution to the prints known by Helene Ladstätter. * She could well  be identical with Helene Ladstätter. The Sütterlin (old German handwriting script)  H and I could easily have been mixed up. But a mix up with  populair Austrian Ski slalom specialist Ida Ladstätter (b.1965) could be an even simpler explanation.  

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A fast update on yesterdays posting thanks to a comment left by reader Andreas: A 1924 "the Studio" article "two Austrian Engravers": Emma Bormann and Helene Ladstätter.

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"Late Autumn" by Valerie Praschniker (from "the Studio" 1927)

Praschniker, Valerie (Valeria)         (Celje, Slovenia 24-04-1894 – 28-10-1972 Vienna)

Austrian painter, woodblock printmaker and illustrator living and working in Vienna. Possibly the daughter of Louis Praschniker (1857-1938) a railway engineer and Valerie Caroline Korab von Mühlström (1860-1942). Then she would be sister to Camillo Alois Franz Praschniker (1884-1949) an archaeology professor in Vienna. She is known by two alpine woodblock prints similar in execution to those by Helene Ladstätter (d.1970).  

A

Above: Valerie Praschniker (from a thumbnail, sorry), below: Helene Ladstätter. 

And an Alpine impression by Engelbert Lap who exhibited in 1939 with Helene Ladstätter in London .

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

Max Pollak: Vienna portraits.

Max Pollak

(Prag 1886-1970 San Francisco)

Austrian-American painter and etcher.

Palermo

I'm a great admirer of Max Pollak. To admire one does not have to actually own a work: I don't. But wouldn't I ? I'm always on the look out. His technique (aquatint, soft ground etching) to create atmosphere in his city views of New-York, San Francisco, Paris, Vienna etc.. with "simple" washes of gray or light purple coloring is quite unique.   

But it is the sparse and delicate use of just a few "Japanese" color accents, a detail used in all his city- and landscapes making him immediately recognizable. I wonder how he came to it: Emil Orlik's influence perhaps ? In America he's probably best known by his New-York Views, commissioned by Theodor Dreiser's for his limited edition "My City" in 1929. The Annex Gallery recently announced their newest in stock here* : many city views. I will show more of those later. Pollak had only arrived in New-York two years before. 

This etched portrait above was simply described as "a pianist". It took me some time on a rainy day, but I've figured it out. It is concert pianist and composer Alfred Grünfeldt (Prag 1852-1924), friend of Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss sr. He was also the first pianist in history to make commercial recordings. He travelled all over Europe and the United States performing often with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Pollak and his wife Friedl emigrated to the US in 1927 being already established and successful in the 1920's in Vienna as a society (actors, writers, dancers, musicians and scientists) portrait artist. He'd been a student of the "great" William Unger (1837-1932) and Ferdinand Schmutzer (1870-1928).

Portrait of Arnold Rose (Rosenblum) (1863-1946) the legendary Wiener Philharmonie  conductor who'd led this orchestra for over 50 years. 

He married Justine, Gustav Mahler's sister, his brother marrying the other  one. Arnold Rose sat also for Ferdinand Schmutzer as did Gustav Mahler for Emil Orlik (below).   

Vienna was the home of three contemporary and successful aquatint etchers: Pollak, Luigi Kasimir (1881-1962) and Hans Figura (1898-1978). Both Kasimir and Figura (who had been Kasimir's student) travelled to New-York and it wouldn't surprise me if Pollak invited them to celebrate his succes, he had a solo exhibition in New York in 1928. Kasimir and Figura never tried at portraits by the way. (*)

 Brooklyn bridge by Luigi Kasimir and by Hans Figura,  

 and by Tavik Frantisek Simon 

(*) The fourth and probably most famous aquatint and portrait etcher from Czech descent of that period was Tavik Frantisek Simon (1877-1942) but he, after working in Paris 1905-1913, had returned to Prag in 1917. 

Kasimir, famous for his city-views had also been a William Unger student at Vienna Art Academy (as was printmaker Norbertine von Bresslern-Roth (1891-1978). 

Portrait of Emil (von) Sauer (1862-1942), he was knighted in 1917, a famous Vienna concert pianist and had been a student of Anton Rubinstein and Franz Lizst. 

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Vienna neurologist and psychiater, portrait  by Max Pollak,

and portraits by Ferdinand Schmutzer, who was also a keen photographer using his negatives in his etchings work as I mentioned in before postings (follow the link below). 

This posting is what I was able to scratch together concerning Max Pollak's Vienna portrait etchings. Sadly a few are "hidden" and can not be digitally revealed (by me). 

After settling in America Pollak almost exclusively turned his attention to city views and landscapes. Before, he'd travelled through Europe and sketched extensively as he did later in South America when he lived in San Francisco. 

A young Yehudi Menuhin

Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) also played with the Vienna Philharmonic in America, from 1926/27. 

Until his departure in 1927 together with Ferdinand Schmutzer and Emil Orlik these three etchers seem to have portrayed and etched many of  Austria's  celebrities, the rich and famous, of the 1920's. 

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Portraits of unidentified persons.
(Wouldn't it be great to identify them).

Portrait of M..?... Deutsch.
(See next posting for identifcation)

Portrait of "a man". Probably in his 70's in the mid 1920's.

I would like very much to identify these two persons above, any clues or help is welcomed. Also portraits that I've missed of course. My email in the link above.

a "Dutch Study"

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

Helga Scholler, printmaker from Graz

Helga Scholler

(1938-2012)

Austrian painter and unexpected printmaker.

Over the years my main interest in printmaking has shifted focusing to German women printmakers born 1860-1900 and working in the first three decades of the XXth century but I could not resist this, obviously much younger but fine bouquet. The print (35 x 40 cm.) by an unknown printmaker was recently delivered, the postage, handling and sending costs exceeding the auction winning price by a factor 5. I fell for the soft use of colors and the “modernistic” and direct approach.  

And of course because of the puzzle that always lies ahead, figuring out who could have made it. And not in the least because of the prize, lack of buyers and interest made it cheap and affordable. 

Besides: I already knew this charming small (10 x 15 cm.) print with a similar monogram H.S. and although I have built quite a large archive concerning dead woodblock and linocut printmakers I had no idea or clue to this maker.
A possible candidate, also using the monogram H.S. was German printmaker Heinrich Schröder (1881-1942) but he obviously isn’t a likely nor serious candidate (below.) and his use of the Monogram hS is very consistent. 

The solution came unexpectedly: by opening the frame and removing the old mat covering the title and the signature: “Margariten und Dahlien”, and “H. Scholler”. 

Helga Scholler was born 1938 in Leoben near Graz in Austria and received between 1954 and 1956 painting instruction from Austrian painter Assuanta von Arbesser (1884-1971), studying 1956-1960 in the Graz Vocational School for Arts following a master class with Rudolph Szyszkowitz (1905-1976) and from 1960-1964 in the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna with Herbert Böckl (1894-1966) and Fransz Elsner (1898-1977).

Helga Scholler worked as a freelance artist in Graz, exhibiting extensively her paintings internationally and winning many prizes. Her works are collected and preserved in private collections and several museums in Austria including the famous Albertina Museum.

I have no idea who might have inspired Helga Scholler to try at woodblock printmaking but Graz was after all the domicile of pre-eminent Austrian printmaker Norbertine Bresslern-Roth (1891-1978). Until the Nazis took over she was working as an artist and professor in Graz only to take up her career after the war had ended.

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

www.galeriesouris.nl