5331 - Leibl, Wilhelm

Leibl, Wilhelm Old Man with a Cane (Bust of an Old Peasant Woman, Leaning on a Cane). Etching on Similijapan. 14.5 x 11.9 cm. Signed "W. Leibl" in brown pen at the bottom right. Circa 1875/77. Gronau 10, Billeter 12 I (of II). “Old Farmer with Hat and Cane,” Leibl writes in a letter dated February 7, 1896, regarding the etching, which he himself held in high esteem and, according to Koehler, considered a “chef d’œuvre”; in passing, he also explicitly answers the question of whether the subject is a farmer or a farmer’s wife. An excellent print bearing the “KG” mark in the upper left corner, with the delicate smudged tone characteristic of the first state. On the reverse, on the left, there are slight traces of old mounting; a short crease in the lower left corner; faint yellowing; otherwise, a very nicely preserved copy. From the Walter Bauer Collection, Fulda. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.