78 - Frédéric FIEBIG (1885–1953)

Frédéric FIEBIG (1885–1953) The Great Tolstoy Original woodcut on paper, signed on the plate in the upper right corner, Paris, 1910. H_31 cm W_21 cm "Fiebig’s strength is most evident in the numerous portraits he engraved on wood and linoleum. These portraits undoubtedly prompted the Baroness de Rothschild to suggest to Fiebig in 1912 that he open a portrait studio. Various portraits of Madame Fiebig, as well as of a pianist from their circle of acquaintances, demonstrate how Fiebig knew, with just a few vigorous cuts, how to render subjects with striking accuracy and expressiveness, and to bring out their distinctive features. The most admirable is the portrait of the Russian writer Tolstoy, which exists in five different versions as well as in numerous preliminary studies in pencil and charcoal. In the most masterful of these engravings—the one commonly referred to as “The Great Tolstoy” (ill. 35)—the writer is depicted almost in full face, with his head tilted slightly to the right. His beard, divided into two undulating masses, his hair, and the broad flat areas of his face are carved as light, elongated, angular patches in the dark wood. Fiebig leaves only the outline of the face, framed by hair that extends over the sunken cheeks, a deep furrow on the forehead, and the shadows that accentuate the eyes, nose, and mouth. One cannot help but agree with Father Breuil when he says of this portrait of Tolstoy: “I know of no other likeness of the great Russian that is so condensed, so admirable.” Fiebig’s work indeed has such an impact and such expressive power that it has been compared to the works created by the Expressionists’ chisels, with references in this regard to the woodcuts of Schmidt, Rottluff, Erich Heckel, Ludwig Kirchner, and especially Emil Nolde. [...] In February 1913, Henri Breuil dedicated a long article to Fiebig on the occasion of his major solo exhibition at Bernheim-Jeune (December 1912), in which he praised Fiebig’s art and, in particular, his talent as an engraver, the full extent of which is revealed in his portrait of Tolstoy. In it, he described Fiebig as an “unparalleled engraver” on the grounds that “he has found the perfect formula that captures life.” By this he was undoubtedly alluding to Fiebig’s gift for reducing the representation of a person or nature to its essence, and thus achieving the most intense expressiveness—precisely the hallmark of the “Tolstoy.” Abbé Breuil singled out this portrait with these words: “...in my opinion, it perfectly sums up Fiebig’s art. When you look at it, you will see his paintings on display at Bernheim.” In this article, Abbé Breuil also discusses Fiebig’s personal technique in his paintings, which are contemporary with his woodcuts: “... broad, bold, square, or elongated brushstrokes, applied to everything, conveying the various aspects of nature with spontaneous and remarkable candor, although one senses that this style is the result of serious and thoughtful study.” - Kyra Kapsreiter-Homeyer, Frédéric Fiebig: His Life and Work. Bibliography: Work reproduced in the book *Frédéric Fiebig: His Life and Work*, written by Ms. Kyra Kapsreiter-Homeyer Suggested Bibliography: Kyra Kapsreiter-Homeyer, *Frédéric Fiebig: His Life and Work*, 1992. Nadine Lehni, Marie-Jeanne Geyer, and Daniel Walther, Frédéric Fiebig: From the Plains of Courland to the Alsatian Ried, 1984. Bernard Baas, Frédéric Fiebig: The Painter with a Knife, Editions Hermann, 2018. Robert Kashey and Kyra Kapsreiter-Homeyer, Frédéric Fiebig: St. Petersburg—Paris—Alsace, 1885–1953, 1990. Guna Millerstone, Frédéric Fiebig 120, 2005.