German Expressionists in Books

German Expressionists artists also worked in partnership with writers, current or past to illustrate their interpretation of the written messages.  Some wrote their own prose.  Others illustrated the classics from Shakespeare, Goethe and others.

While missing the now closed LACMA French and German Expressionists exhibit, I discovered some of their works in the permanent exhibit.  The museum also has a special exhibit entitled:  "The Written Image:   Books and Portfolios From the Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies."  The description states that printmaking was a vital medium for the expresion of aesthetic ideas printed on single sheets, portfolios, books and periodicals.  These were expedient and flexible means of disseminating art to a wide audience.

But first, here are two paintings from the Expressionists, one French, one German, one after the war and one after.

"Composition," 1925 by Fernand Leger, French, 1881-1955

"Bathers," 1913,, by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German, 1884-1976

The information at the exhibit states that central to proliferation of illustrated books and print portfolios after World War I was a handful of German publishers and art dealers.  They were committed to providing inexpensive examples of the latest examples in art.  Their galleries and publishing houses in Berlin, Dresden and Munich were cultural meccas during the Weimar era and helped to support the artists to ear much needed income during this inflationary period following the war.

"Zwei Manner am Tisch" 1913 by Erich Heckel, German 1883-1970, woodcut.  This work relates to Dostoyevsky's  The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov.  The artist was an avid reader of the Russian novelist.  The artist translated Dostoyevsky's themes in both paintings and prints.

"Triumph der Liebe," 1911 by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German, 1880-1938, woodcut.

"Die beiden Veroneser (The Two Gentlemen of Verona)," 1917 by Franz Maria Jansen, German , 1885-1958, woodcut with hand-coloring on japan paper.  From the portfolio "Visions of Shakespeare," 1918.

"Macbeth V," 1918 by Wilhelm Lehmbruck, German, 1881-1919, etching and drypoint.

"Falstaff," 1917 by Lovis Corinth, German 1858-1925, drypoint on japan paper.  From "Visions of Shakespeare."

"Kundung: Eine Zeitschrift for Kunst (Kundung:  A Magazine for Art)," 1920 by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German 1884-1976, woodcut printed in black and orange.

"Untitled," 1912 by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German 1880-1938, woodcut on blue and red paper.  This was the cover of the exhibition catalogue for the Brucke Art's Group in Berlin.

"Tod auf der Landstrasse (Death on the Road)," 1934 by Kathe Kollwitz, German 1867-1945, lithograph.  From the portfolio "Tod (Death)," 1934-37, Berlin.

"Portrait of Dostoyevski," 1921 by Max Beckmann, German, 1884-1950, drypoint.

"Handstand," 1916 by Erich Heckel, German, 1883-1970, lithograph on japan paper.

"Inhaltsverzeichnis fur die Neumann-Mappe (Table of contents for the Neumann portfolio)," 1919 by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, woodcut.