530 - Portfolios and Illustrated Books

Portfolios and Illustrated Books 5th Annual Portfolio of the “Brücke” Artists’ Group (E. L. Kirchner) Portfolio containing 3 prints by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1 of which is in color, on sturdy vellum, as well as the title woodcut by Erich Heckel on the original paper cover (yellow vellum double sheet). Published by the “Brücke” artists’ group, Dresden, 1910. Approx. 25 x 34 cm (sheet size up to approx. 40 x 54 cm). Heckel (cover) approx. 30 x 40 cm (sheet size approx. 42 x 55 cm). The 3 sheets by Kirchner are signed lower left and lower right, respectively. Title page by Heckel is signed and dated “10” lower right. Complete. Included are: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner: “Bathers Throwing Reeds,” 1909, color woodcut; “Dancer with Raised Skirt,” 1909, woodcut; “Three Bathers at the Moritzburg Ponds,” 1909, drypoint etching. Erich Heckel: “Kneeling Nude,” 1910, woodcut. Gercken (Kirchner) 375 B (from B); 376 II B (from II B); 377 B (from B). Ebner/Gabelmann (Heckel) 435 H. Söhn HDO 215; Hoffmann 41. • The 5th annual portfolio of “Die Brücke” was published in 1910 and is dedicated to its member Ernst Ludwig Kirchner • A total of seven exclusive annual portfolios were published between 1906 and 1912; they were printed in limited quantities and distributed exclusively to the (then 68) supporting members of the “Brücke” artists’ group • The three works by Kirchner exemplify the main motifs of bathers and dancers in his artistic oeuvre The Annual Portfolios of the “Brücke” Artists’ Group Between 1906 and 1912, the “Brücke” artists created a total of seven annual portfolios of prints, which—in the tradition of 19th-century art associations—were distributed to the association’s passive members as a token of gratitude for their financial support. From the very beginning, they contained exclusively original prints. The entire creative process—from the initial artistic concept to the technical execution of the print—was entirely in the hands of the respective artist. In keeping with the “Brücke” concept, these hand-printed sheets (with the exception of the etchings) constitute autonomous works of art. Some prints were designed exclusively for the annual portfolios and published only through them, which is why they are extremely rare and highly sought after by collectors. The first three annual portfolios feature prints by various “Brücke” artists; beginning with the fourth portfolio in 1909, a different artist is featured each year. Each portfolio contains three prints by the selected artist, created using different printing techniques, while the cover is designed by a fellow artist. This illustrates the goal of the artist group, which does not strive for a collective style but rather for collective collaboration in which each artist can develop their own individuality. The group life of “Die Brücke” was shaped by the joint production of these annual portfolios, which are so famous and sought-after today. From printing to assembling and mailing, the work was done collaboratively; at the end, the artists held a celebration, which Pechstein described decades later: “As was our custom, a portion of the contributions received from the passive members of ‘Die Brücke’ was used to cover the costs of a closing dinner. As always, there was homemade apple rice and meatballs. To accompany this, Heckel served juniper schnapps.” (quoted from: Meike Hoffmann, *Leben und Schaffen der Künstlergruppe “Brücke” 1905 bis 1913*, Berlin 2005, p. 121). Provenance: Hermann Gerlinger Collection, Würzburg; Hubertus Melsheimer Art Gallery, Cologne; Olbricht Collection, Essen/Berlin; acquired from the aforementioned in 2008. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).