E.S.: A peculiar woodblock print and some thoughts concerning ....

Before continuing with Paul Prött (before posting) a new puzzle. 

A rather unusual, strange and "desolate" composition: an otherwise empty (cleared ?) farmhouse kitchen with a (cold) fire, a kettle and a sleepy calico  cat. Where are the chairs and the table, things on the wall and ceiling, why isn't there a fire ? What is the printmaker trying to tell us ? The owners gone, dead perhaps ? A last glance before leaving ................ forever ? 

On closer inspection it was, I'm happy to say, a (German) woodblock print, after all. The colors are printed by blocks and not done by hand and brush. 

A rather unusual print but with a technically and artistically high level approach. Look at the detail of the light-fall through the windows on the wall and floor. It has been given a new matt some time ago (rusty nails) and, out of the frame, I had a peek under the matt to look for a signature. But there isn't. Why not ? A proof perhaps  ? 

---------

The calico cat reminds me of the one print, with a curious calico (or is it tabby) cat, I know by the hand of painter Lily Ehrenberg-Teufel wife of impressionist painter Paul Ehrenberg (1879-1949). She was born 27-05-1897 and probably murdered by the Nazis. Both were in the circles of writer Thomas Mann. 

------------------

So E.S. is what's there is to go on: besides hunches, memory, and archive. Have I seen similar prints before ? Who did cats, who did "such" interiors, when was it made, does the paper give any clue, who could have been able to ?

Wisfhul thinking: Else Schmiedeberg(-Blume)? Not impossible, but wishful thinking it is. There are similarities in the paper and use of color (above, from another print). Maybe. I know of a dozen or so prints by my printmaking muze (she is !) but she either uses no monogram at all. Or ES, or an interlaced ESvB cut conspicuously into the block. On the other hand: 12 prints is not much to go on. 

Emma Schlangenhausen, did a cat, but don't think so (and I have no knowledge of her trying at color printmaking)

Else Staps (uses E.St.), not likely. 

Edmund Schaeffer (only known from monochrome prints), uses E.Sch

 Ernst Stiefendorfer (or Stiefenhofer ?) (uses E.Sti and hand colors his prints)

And then there are: Engelbert Schoner, Eberhard Schramm, Emil Schuller, Erich Sperling ?

So if readers might have any idea, educated or wild guess: I'm open for any creative or academic suggestion. Or maybe there's simply some one who happens to know this print.

Paul Prött I: Frankfurt, an der Hauptwache

Paul Prött

(1880 - 1945) 

Painter and graphic artist.

An der Hauptwache in Frankfurt 

Finding a nice etching of an unknown location is always a treat and a sport. Besides investigating I like printmakers who "stuff and stage" their compositions with figures and "of the period" means of transportation. Today part 1 of works  by forgotten printmaker Paul Prött. Very little is known or to be found about him, I think he lived and worked in Cologne, all further information is welcomed. As far as I know he's not mentioned in any of the Indexes or Artists Lexicons.  

Until yesterday I had not figured where this "Grand Central Place" (it must be because of the junction of double tramways seen in the etching) was but this time it happened to be close too home. That is: Wolfgangs home.

See the signs at the tram stop to the Zoo and Botanical gardens
on either side of the Altstadt.  

It shows An der Hauptwache in Frankfurt in better times and the reason I could not figure it out myself is because the whole place (Platz, square) with all its grand buildings was destroyed by an allied bombing raid march 22nd 1944. Like Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Bremen and so many other old cities (Rotterdam, Coventry, Groningen) the heart was ripped out. 

This particular Frankfurt square, like most of the old city was not restored to its former glory (see before posting: Römerberg in the "Altstadt") but the central buildings, the Hauptwache and the Katharinenkirche were. Trams nowadays go underground and the tarmac and intense traffic from the 1970's are obviously redirected.

The German grandmaster of this genre, "densely populated city views", must be of course Paul Peaschke (1875-1943): very prolific, very collectable, very sought after and thus: never cheap. Paul Prött's work on the other hand is very affordable and his prints of Cologne, Bonn, Frankfurt and the Rhine showing up regularly in German Ebay, flee markets, car boots and charity shops. 

Berlin Potsdamerplatz: 1919 traffic jam ?

--------------------

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

Matterhorn: Findeln, Zermatt

Unknown printmaker: help requested 

A typical wooden shed, a granary in Findeln, just above Zermatt, with a view on Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps by an unknown or unidentified printmaker. Wolfgang, usually solving my puzzles could use a hand with this print. No big deal, not great art, just a simple print ? Yes, but it is also "simply as it is". On a clear day and once you've decided and selected the subject of your work. Quite clever also, and true. So if you have any idea about the maker .....................or can read the signature. 

Dagmar Hooge (1870-1930) was also was in the Alps in 1922 to or from her visit to Martha Cunz (1876-1961) in St. Gallen with her sister and tried to catch the atmosphere of a clearing storm in the mountains. Where  and Martha Cunz choose a sunny day.

And a few years later Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) choose Matterhorn (and the town of Zermatt) too, in 1925, and made two versions of the same print: one at day and one at night. 
  

-------------------

Findeln Zermatt by unknown Th. Husy
 probably showing the same view and traditional granary.

And two paintings of Findeln, granaries, chapel and Matterhorn 

Waldemar Fink: 1893-1948

Francois Marc Eugene Gos: 1880-1975

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

Karl Albrecht Buschbaum: Vedutenmaler

Buschbaum, Karl Albrecht 

(Berlin 05-04-1885 - probably before 1953)

Painter of cityscapes ("Vedutenmaler")
photographer poster designer and printmaker

Wolfgang did it again, identifying the signature in this print of the Hangmans house (Henkers Turm) in Nürenberg. So today I award this printmaker his own entry in the digital world: I sincerely wish it may lead to more biographical information I was able  to find on our first winter (ice-rain) day. 

Woodblock: Frankfurt Römer Dom and medieval houses on the Römerberg square and Römerberg and Nicolai-Kirche before destruction by allied bombing in WWII but today beautifully restored.  

Born April 5th 1885 in Berlin Friedenau according to "de Gruyter Signaturenlexikon". In the Stubenrauchstrasse 14, although this seems to be a mistake and was mixed up with this 1931 advertisement (above) where Karl advertises his business from Stubenrauchstrasse 41: postcards, industrial and city views, reproductions, posters and printed packing material.  

He is mentioned as having been a student in Frankfurt Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts school) but without any dates or teachers given and is described as a "Vedutenmaler" or a typical city view painter.  

Known from "Ansichtkarten" (postcard designs), landscape etchings, city views (old Berlin, Frankfurt) lithographic drawings (nature) and 4(*) woodblock prints. I have one, Wolfgang has one and I found two more. 
(*) These last two examples are signed "K.A. Buschbaum   Handdruck" in a very different handwriting (not Sutterlin). Nevertheless they are shown here until some one knows better or "proven otherwise". 

These examples show Karl Albrecht was a pretty versatile artist, he was also mentioned as a photographer and said to have traveled also to Switzerland although his known views are mainly from Berlin, Frankfurt and Darmstadt. 

Karl Albrecht may have been related to the owners of the G.A. Buschbaum Maschinen und Motorenwerke in Darmstadt (south of Frankfurt) second half of the 19th century. Karl made several city views and postcards in Darmstadt. 

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