Erich Heckel

ERICH HECKEL (1883-1970) Fränzi liegend (Dube 188 b2) woodcut in black and red, 1910, on soft fibrous wove paper, signed, titled, dated and annotated 'Handdruck' in pencil, a very good impression of this very rare print, with gaufrage on the reverse, with wide margins, a deckle edge below, some pale light- and mat staining, occasional pale foxing, generally in good condition, framed B. 9 x 16½ in. (228 x 419 mm.) S. 15 x 21 in. (381 x 534 mm.) The two childish figures who feature prominently in the Brücke works and who play an important role in their primitivist iconography are Marzella and Fränzi, the daughters of an artist's widow who lived near Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. They are often shown both clothed and nude and are frequently associated with genuine tribal artifacts or African-inspired objects. To the Brücke, both children and tribal art were symbols of a positive desire for regeneration and renewal. Unlike his friend and fellow Brücke-member Kirchner, Erich Heckel had a tendency to revisit his woodblocks and plates months or even years later to rework and reprint them. As a consequence it is sometimes difficult to identify when precisely a particular impression was printed, and so it is with the present work. The earliest impressions of Fränzi liegend all have a strong "workshop" character and demonstrate that Heckel was more interested in the printing process than in the finished print. The four impressions that are known with some certainty to have been printed in 1910 are irregularly, almost carelessly inked and clearly show the application of the inks by hand or brush; the black block prints with much structure within the torso and legs, and the paper shows considerable handling marks, such as fingerprints and accidental brushstrokes in the margins. The other known impressions, not more than twenty, were probably printed in the early 1950s when Heckel's work, after being discredited during the Nazi-era and being partly lost and destroyed during the war, began to be rediscovered and appreciated. It must have been then that the artist decided to print a small edition of Fränzi liegend, one of his graphic masterpieces, for the main print rooms, private collectors and a few select art dealers in Germany. These impressions, most of which are now in public collections, differ somewhat noticeably from the early proofs. The inking, especially in the red, is slightly more homogeneous and opaque, and many of the sculptural marks on the torso, especially at her groin, abdomen and breasts, have disappeared. (Dube thought these differences indicated the block had been re-cut and designated it as a second state.) Although "cleaner" in appearance than the early proofs, the red still has the wonderful transparent and modulated structure, and the torso retains some of the earlier sculptural quality of this exceedingly rare work.

ERICH HECKEL Hafeneinfahrt in Ostende. Drypoint on cream wove paper, 1916. 145x194 mm; 5 7/8x7 5/8 inches, (full ?) margins. Signed and dated in pencil, lower right. A very good impression. During World War I, Heckel (1803-1970) was stationed in Belgium with Red Cross Medical Corps headed by art historian Walter Kaesbach, who encouraged him to continue to paint and make prints. While there he also became close with Max Beckmann and James Ensor. Dube 137. Estimate $1,500-2,500

DescEN Heckel, Erich «Kanal bei Ostende (canal near Ostende)». Drypoint. In the plate monogrammed and indistinctly dated lower right. Signed and dated (19)16 lower right in pencil. Passepartout. Catalogue raisonné: Dube 135. 1883 Döbeln - 1970 Radolfzell. «Kanal bei Ostende». Kaltnadelradierung. Blick über einen Kanal, von zwei Stegbrücken flankiert, zum Meer führend. In der Platte u.r. monogr. und undeutlich dat. Mit Bleistift u.r. sign. und (19)16 dat. H. 17, B. 21 cm. Passepartout. Werkverzeichnis: Dube 135. Für dieses Objekt wird zusätzlich die gesetzliche Einfuhr-Umsatzsteuer von 7 % auf den Nettopreis (Zuschlagspreis + Aufgeld) hinzugerechnet. Wird das Objekt nach dem Zuschlag wieder in die Schweiz gebracht, entfällt die Einfuhr-Umsatzsteuer. This auction item is subject to 7 % statutory import duties added to the net price (hammer price + premium). These import duties do not apply if the auction item is returned to Switzerland following the auction's closing .

Auktion Z32 Lot 3403 - 07 December 2012 10:00 * HECKEL, ERICH (Döbeln 1883 - 1970 Radolfzell) Standing woman. 1904. Wood cut. Signed and dated lower right: Heckel 04, also monogrammed in block: H. image 19.7 x 6 cm on light board 20.9 x 7.5 cm. Catalogue raisonné: Dube, No. H 8. CHF 4 000.- / 6 000.- € 3 330.- / 5 000.- * HECKEL, ERICH (Döbeln 1883 - 1970 Radolfzell) Stehende Frau. 1904. Holzschnitt. Unten rechts signiert und datiert: Heckel 04, sowie im Block monogrammiert: H. Darstellung 19,7 x 6 cm auf leichtem Karton 20,9 x 7,5 cm. Werkverzeichnis: Dube, Nr. H 8. CHF 4 000.- / 6 000.- € 3 330.- / 5 000.-

Erich Heckel Döbeln/Saxony 1883 – 1970 Radolfzell/Lake Constance „SCHRIFTBLATT: HOLZSCHNITTFOLGE“ 1905. Woodcut on laid paper. 15,6 x 13 cm (34,2 x 29,1 cm) (6 ⅛ x 5 ⅛ in. (13 ½ x 11 ½ in.)) Signed and inscribed: Handdruck.. Dube H 68. - Recto and verso with the collector's mark Lugt 1567 a. Provenance: Ehemals Sammlung Walter Kern, Winterthur