Skip to main content

Figurative Prints

to
522
1,418
327
135
31
53
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
675
203
201
106
58
19
14
8
1
1
1
1
169
106
64
43
34
3,481
7,308
25,552
6,793
292
1,361
1,187
1,294
2,301
3,660
5,254
2,718
1,276
3,027
1,423
531
9
1,701
930
885
683
544
484
423
187
120
111
103
96
94
90
77
70
53
52
45
36
767
533
361
249
247
177
606
1,054
768
Figurative Prints For Sale
Period: 1920s
Period: 1910s
Grabender Bauer (Farmer Digging)
Located in New York, NY
Lesser Ury (German, 1861–1931), , drypoint, Grabender Bauer (Farmer Digging), c. 1920, signed in pencil lower right and numbered xxix/xxx, from the edition of 30 on Japan (another 10...
Category

1920s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint

Coffee Huskers
Located in New York, NY
George Biddle (1885-1973), Coffee Huskers, 1928, lithograph, signed, titled and numbered [also inscribed ’43/Biddle/1928 in the plate]. Reference: Pennigar 77, Trotter 43. From the edition of 100, on Rives cream wove paper, with the Rives watermark. In excellent condition, probably never framed or matted, the full sheet, 13 1/4 x 9 3/4, the sheet 16 x 11 1/2 inches, archival mounting (mylar non-attached hinging between acid free boards glassine cover). A fine black impression. Biddle wrote of this lithograph, in 1943: “After scraping the tusche away…I worked back with a pensil (sic) and again with diamond. This all adds to the richness of texture and color.” This work produces a very sophisticated lithographic look, akin in some ways to drypoint work in etching. After Groton, Harvard College and Harvard Law (and several breakdowns) Biddle concluded that a conventional career in law was not for him; he decided on art, went to Paris, worked with Mary Cassatt and familiarized himself with modernist currents in art (as well as more traditional European art). After serving in WWI, and the dissolution of his marriage, he became interested in working outside of the European tradition (although his travels continued to include Europe, and he spent a period working under the influence of Jules Pascin in Paris in the mid-‘20’s). Coffee Huskers, like many of the Mexican and Haitian prints...
Category

1920s American Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

La Depart Pour La Chasse
Located in New York, NY
Jean-Emile Laboureur lithograph La Depart Pour La Chasse, in five colors, 1927, signed and numbered (35/150) in pencil (Sylvain Laboureur, Godefry 780), from the edition of 150 plus ...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Tendres Stocks: The Complete Etchings
Located in New York, NY
Chas Laborde (1886-1941), Tendres Stocks: The Complete Etchings, c. 1924, etching, engraving, colored etching proofs before publication of the book. A suite of 13 impressions in black and white, and 13 in color; 26 in all; impressions printed before the book edition of Tendres Stocks by Paul Morand...
Category

1920s Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Color, Engraving, Etching

EN LA NEVERA
By Isadoro Ocampo
Located in Portland, ME
Ocampo, Isidoro. EN LA NEVERA. Drypoint, 1929. Edition of 50, numbered 3/50 and signed in pencil. 9 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches. Printed on paper watermaked "F.J. Head & Co." In excellent con...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint

Le Policeman, Londres
Located in New York, NY
Jean-Emile Laboureur (1877-1943), Le Policeman, Londres, 1913, etching on zinc. Signed lower left in pencil [also with the signature and date in the plate]. Reference: Godefroy, Sylv...
Category

1910s Cubist Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Marechal Ferrant (The Blacksmith)
Located in New York, NY
Hermine David (1886-1970), Marechal Ferrant (The Blacksmith), etching and drypoint, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate lower left], ...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Aux Lainnes Ecossaises
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Antique Poster R.Hurwic. Aux Lainnes Ecossaises, . 1928. Color lithograph. [Child sitting on a chair knitting]. 47 x 31 1/2"...
Category

1920s Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

La Corrida
Located in New York, NY
Hermine David (1886-1970) La Corrida, etching and drypoint, 1929, signed and numbered (20/100) in pencil (Inventaire Bibliotheque Nationale de France #22)....
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

"Font-Romeu, " Original Color Lithograph Poster by Vincent Guerra
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Font-Romeu (Tennis/Golfing Retreat)" is an original color lithograph poster by the designer Vincent Guerra. He signed the design in the lower left. This poster depicts a woman relaxing under a tree...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

20th century etching figurative urban scene sketch black and white signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Les Matelassiers (The Mattress Makers)" is an original etching by Auguste Brouet. It depicts people creating a mattress outside. The artist signed the...
Category

1910s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

"Présure Guillien, Dijon Cow, " Original Color Lithograph Poster by L. Serre
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Présure Guillien, Dijon Cow" is an original color lithograph poster. The artist's name is printed in the lower left, and the name of the printing company, Havas, is printed in the lower right. The poster advertises rennet, a product used to curdle milk and make cheese, featuring a milk maid with a red kerchief tied around her head in front of a white cow. She holds a golden bucket...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Simon Frevalles
Located in New York, NY
Poster Adverting the Entertainer Simon Frevalles. 1923. Color lithograph. On Linen. An outstanding twentieth century painter, printmaker and illustrator, Marcel Vertes moved from his native Hungary to Paris during the First World War. The art of Marcel Vertes was at its peak during the vibrant and somewhat wild decade of the 1920’s. Concentrating upon scenes of Paris street life, portrayals of women and depictions of circus and cabaret acts, Vertes left a legacy of original lithographs and drawings that superbly capture the spirit of 1920’s Paris. Vertès is also responsible for the original murals in the Café Carlyle...
Category

1920s Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Man with a Basket, from: My Life - Russian French Berlin Autobiography Surreal
Located in London, GB
This original etching and drypoint is hand signed in pencil by the artist "Marc Chagall" at the lower right margin. It is also hand numbered in pencil from the edition of 110, at the lower left margin. There were 84 impressions on laid paper and a further 26 impressions on Japan paper. It was printed by Pan-Presse, Berlin in 1922 and published by Paul Cassirer, Berlin in 1923. Note: The work was part of Chagall's important and renowned series "Mein Leben...
Category

1920s Surrealist Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Women - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a F...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

20th century color lithograph poster military wartime figurative print French
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Emprunt de la Defense Nationale" is an original lithograph poster by Francisque Poulbot. It depicts a mother with three young children saying goodbye to her husband as he leaves for war. This was an advertisement for French people to donate to the war effort during the first world war. 43 1/2" x 30 1/4" art 48" x 34 1/2" frame Emprunt de la Défense Nationale [National Defence Loan] WW1 French...
Category

1910s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Claudine/Theatre du Moulin Rouge
Located in New York, NY
Freres. Clerice. Claudine 1910.On Linen. Color lithograph poster for the Operette en 3 Actes de Willy. d'après les Romans de Willy & Colette Willy with music by Rodolphe Berger. Ref. Broido No. 21 The Clerice Frères...
Category

1910s Art Nouveau Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Leonard Foujita - Soldiers - Original Lithograph
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Lithograph by Leonard Foujita Title: Soldiers Signed in the plate Dimensions: 23 x 28 cm Edition of 97 From the " Propos d'un intoxiqué " Portfolio, published in 1928 by Jav...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

By the Nets - German Expressionism Woodcut Schmidt-Rottluff
Located in London, GB
KARL SCHMIDT-ROTTLUFF 1884-1976 Rottluff, Germany 1884 - 1976 Berlin (German) Title: By the Nets Bei den Netzen, 1914 Technique: Original Hand Signed Woodcut on Laid Paper Paper size: 51.2 x 62.4 cm. / 20.2 x 24.6 in. Additional Information: This original woodcut is hand signed in pencil by the artist "S. Rottluff" at the lower right margin. This is the fifth woodcut of the portfolio "Zehn Holzschnitte von Schmidt-Rottluff" [Ten Woodcuts by Schmidt-Rottluff] that was published in 1919. It was published by Graphisches Kabinett J. B. Neumann, Berlin in a limited unnumbered edition of 75 plus some proofs. The printer was Fritz Voigt...
Category

1910s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

"Matinee a l'Odeon, " Original Etching signed by Maurice Asselin
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Matinee a l'Odeon" is an original etching by Maurice Asselin. The artist signed and titled the print below the image. This piece is edition 13/30 and depicts three figures watching ...
Category

1910s Post-Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

"Bal AAAA Bullier, " Original Lithograph Poster by Achille-Emile Othon Friesz
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Bal AAAA Bullier" is an original color lithograph poster by Achille-Emile Othon Friesz, signed by the artist in the plate in the lower left. This p...
Category

1920s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Art Deco Chinese Pharmacy Advertisement Poster
Located in Chicago, IL
This advertising calendar poster dated from 1920 for the "Chinese and Western Medicine Pharmacy" melds the meticulous detail of traditional Chinese painting with the craft of color lithography. Compared to other Western influenced advertisements of the era featuring seductive women, posters like this one captivated consumers with the latest fashion trends. We see a woman with a Western hair cut...
Category

1920s Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink

Maurice Utrillo - Parisian Street - transfer lithograph
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Maurice Utrillo - La Place Ravignan, Montmartre - transfer lithograph Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 200 copies. Printed signature, as issued 1927 From Tableaux de Paris, Emile-Paul Freres, Paris The place is now called "La Place Emile-Goudeau" Maurice Utrillo (1883 - 1955) The French painter Maurice Utrillo was born as the illegitimate son of the painter Suzanne Valladon in Paris on December 26, 1883. He was adopted by the Catalan art critic Miguel Utrillo...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

La Cabaretiere obese (The Fat Tavern Keeper)
Located in New York, NY
1917. (Godefroy 172, II/II). Engraving on Rives. Signed with initial and dated on the plate, l.r "L 1917". Signed in pencil and numbered 28/45. Framed Stein, The Cubist Print p. 14...
Category

1910s Cubist Figurative Prints

Materials

Engraving

Pierre Bonnard - The Street - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Pierre Bonnard - The Street - Original Lithograph Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 225 copies. 1927 From Tableaux de Paris, Emile-Paul Freres, Paris CHARLES...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Women's Love - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a Faun. Jean-Gabriel Domergue Jea...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

George Grosz Lithograph "Dämmerung" (Twilight ), 1922
Located in Berlin, DE
Color Lithograph on handmade paper from Ecce Homo, by George Grosz, 1922. Printed by Kunstanstalt Dr. Selle & Co. AG, Berlin Published by Malik Verlag, 1923. Numbered in Roman numera...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Color, Lithograph

Rozsa/Szucs
Located in New York, NY
Rozsa/Szucs. Ca 1915. Budapest. Color lithograph. Hungarian Art Nouveau posters are rare. Bardócz was a graphic artist and painter, active between the 1910’s and the 1930’s. His p...
Category

1910s Art Nouveau Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Chas Laborde - Paris - Capucine's Boulevard - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Chas Laborde - Paris - Capucine's Boulevard - Original Etching Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 225 copies. 1927 From Tableaux de Paris, Emile-Paul Freres, Paris Chas LABORDE Charles Laborde was born in Buenos Aires on August 8, 1886. He was the youngest of the five sons of Adolphe-Sylvestre Laborde-Pinou, a Basque-Bearne millionaire who had made a fortune selling spirits to the Indians and luxury goods imported from France to wealthy Argentines. The family returned to France when Charles was six months old. His mother died when he was two. He spent his childhood at their family château d’Escout outside Oloron-Sainte-Marie in the Pyrenees. His brothers went to a boarding-school, his father was often in Paris on business, and little Charles was left to his devices. Though it was a lonely childhood, he was a darling of his generous and magnanimous father. Charles got his early drawing skills from a village artist and found support in his brother Jean-Felix. Charles frequently accompanied his father visiting artisans and helped him choose de luxe objects to be sold in Argentine. He first attended the Rollin college in Paris, then a lyceum in Pau, where he lived with full board and lodging after his father’s death in 1901. From childhood Charles wanted to be an artist and tried several pseudonyms for himself: Ch. Laborde, Carlos Laborde,Carlos Edrobal and Carl Lab. He started wearing a velvet suit and a large hat. At 17, the timid shortsighted teenager wearing big glasses was expelled from college for smoking and drinking alcohol and went to Paris into the custody of his elder brother Jean-Felix, who carried on his father’s business. Charles enrolled in the prestigious l’Académie Julian, studying under Henri Royer and Marcel Baschet. Simultaneously he was a pupil of William Bouguereau and Luc-Olivier Merson at l’École des Beaux-Arts. The latter was famous for being the designer of the 50 and 100 franc banknotes, and he believed that he was teaching a “little Daumier”. In England, where he went every year from 1905 to 1914 with the family of his friend Cooper, a classmate at l’Académie Julian, he found not only his pseudonym Chas (short for Charley), but also the land of his dreams. Peculiarities of London and its inhabitants were reflected in drawings of William Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson, whose album The Microcosm of London (1808) prompted Charles to make his London Streets Scenes (1928). Owing to those trips Charles took a liking to the atmosphere of England and its reserved and terse humor. In 1905 the château d’Escout and the Buenos Aires Commercial Fund were sold. After coming into inheritance, Laborde became financially independent and obtained an atelier in Montmartre at 11 bis Rue des Saules. His neighbors were de la Butte, Francis Carco and Pierre Mac Orlan, who sympathized with the easy-going young man with a positive attitude to life. His friend Pierre Falke...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Brides les Bains/En Savoie/La Station de la Femme Elegante.
By Léon Bénigni
Located in New York, NY
Benigni, Leo. Brides les Bains/En Savoie/La Station de la Femme Elegante, 1929. 24 1/2 x 39 1/2"; Color lithograph. On Linen. Small tear in middle of bottom poster, otherwise in v...
Category

1920s Art Deco Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Procede by Georges Manzana Pissarro - Monotype of a bird, Animal
Located in London, GB
Procede by Georges Manzana Pissarro (1871-1961) Coloured monotype with gold, silver and pencil 24 x 30 cm (9¹/₂ x 11³/₄ inches) Signed lower right, Manzana Artist biogaphy Like all ...
Category

1920s Post-Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Gold, Silver

George Grosz "Pappi und Mammi" ( Daddy and Mommy ) Lithograph, 1922
Located in Berlin, DE
Color Lithograph on handmade paper from Ecce Homo, by George Grosz, 1922. Printed by Kunstanstalt Dr. Selle & Co. AG, Berlin. Published by Malik Verlag, 1923. Numbered in Roman numer...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Color, Lithograph

Nu couché
Located in London, GB
Henri Matisse Nu couché 1929 Etching on Chine appliqué on wove paper, Edition of 25 Paper size: 28.6 x 38 cms (11 1/8 x 14 5/8 ins) Plate size: 12.3 x 15.5 c...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Lying Naked - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a Faun. Jean-Gabriel Domergue Jea...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Happiness - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a F...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Nonchalance - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a F...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Charles Martin - The Eiffel Tower - Original Lithograph
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Charles Martin - The Eiffel Tower - Original Lithograph Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 225 copies. 1927 From Tableaux d...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Stehkragen (rare hand signed woodcut)
Located in Aventura, FL
Woodcut print on paper. Hand signed and dated by Lyonel Feininger. Unknow edition. Image size approx 3.9 x 3.9 inches. Sheet size 7 x 6.5 inches. Artwork is in excellent conditio...
Category

1920s Contemporary Figurative Prints

Materials

Screen, Silk

Jean Gabriel Domergue - Woman - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Original Etching by Jean-Gabriel Domergue Dimensions: 33 x 25 cm 1924 Edition of 100 This artwork is part of the famous portfolio The Afternoon of a F...
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Circus Dressing Room
Located in Missouri, MO
Dame Laura Knight "The Circus Dressing Room" 1925 Etching Ed. 20 Signed Lower Right Image Size: approx. 14 x 10 inches Framed Size: approx. 23.5 x 17.75 inches An English impressio...
Category

1920s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Aquatint

Nu couché de dos
Located in London, GB
Henri Matisse Nu couché de dos 1929 Lithograph on Arches Velin paper, Edition of 50 Paper size: 50.5 x 66 cms (20 x 26 ins) Image size: 46 x 56 cms (18 x 22 ins) HM16567
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Maurice de Vlaminck - Paris' Souflot Street - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Maurice de Vlaminck - Paris' Souflot Street - Original Etching Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 225 copies. 1927 From Tableaux de Paris, Emile-Paul Frere...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

George Grosz "Whisky" Lithograph, 1917
Located in Berlin, DE
Color Lithograph on handmade paper Ecce Homo by George Grosz, 1917. Printed by Kunstanstalt Dr. Selle & Co. AG, Berlin. Published by Malik Verlag, 1923. Numbered in Roman numerals lo...
Category

1910s Figurative Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Color, Lithograph

Edmond Céria - Paris, Quais de Orfèvres - Original Etching
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Charles Martin - The Eiffel Tower - Original Lithograph Dimensions : 13 x 10". Paper : Rives vellum. Edition : 225 copies. 1927 From Tableaux de Paris, Emile-Paul Freres, Pari...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Wreath. Paper, lithograph, 29x24 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Wreath. Paper, lithograph, 29x24 cm Apsitis Aleksandrs (1880. 06. 04. Riga – 1943. 19. 09. Germany) – painter, graphic artist. 1894. – His family gone to St. Petersburg and in this time to his made copies from good known artists. (1898. – 1999.) – he learned at the art Studio of L. Dmitriev – Kavkazski. He is best known as a book and journals graphic (his pseudonyms were Aspids, A. Petrovs, Čūska, Skits, Oseņevs and others). In this time living at St. Petersburg and Moscow he cooperated with journals «Родина», «Нива», «Звезда» (1902. – 1906.), and also with book publishes I. Sitina, A. Stupina and P. Soikina. He illustrated a Russian classic writer’s books (A.Chechov, I. Turgenev, M. Gorky, M. Saltikov - Scedrin and others). 1912. – Illustrated the jubilee edition to L. Tolstoy „War and Peace”; 1913. – Illustrating to first Russian’s children...
Category

1920s Naturalistic Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

"Portrait of Sculptor James Vibert" Copper Plate Heliogravure
Located in Chicago, IL
2018 marks the centenary anniversary of Ferdinand Hodler’s death. In that 100 years time, the art world’s esteem of this important artist has proved fickle. It has shifted from extolling his artistic merits during his lifetime to showing something of a feigned disdain- more reflective of the world political order than a true change of heart for Hodler’s work. After years of Hodler being all but a footnote in the annals of art history and generally ignored, finally, the pendulum has righted itself once again. Recent retrospective exhibitions in Europe and the United States have indicated not only a joyful rediscovery of Hodler’s art but a firm conviction that his work and world view hold particular relevance today. DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS is not only a collection of printed work reflecting the best of all of his painted work created up to 1914 just before the outbreak of World War I, the portfolio itself is an encapsulation of Hodler’s ethos, Parallelisme. Hodler developed his philosophy of Parallelisme as a unifying approach to art which strips away detail in search of harmony. By means of abstraction, symmetry and repetition, Hodler sought ways to depict Nature’s essence and her fundamental, universal order. He believed these universal laws governing the natural, observable world extend to the spiritual realm. Symbolist in nature with Romantic undertones, his works are equally portraits of these universal concepts and feelings governing all life as they are a visual portrait in the formal sense. Whether his subject is a solitary tree, a moment in battle, mortal fear, despair, the awe inspired by a vast mountain range, a tender moment or even the collective conviction in a belief, Hodler unveils this guiding principle of Parallelisme. Several aspects of Hodler’s portfolio reinforce his tenets of Parallelisme. The Table of Contents clearly preferences a harmonious design over detail. The two columns, consisting of twenty lines each, list the images by order of appearance using their German titles. The abbreviated titles are somewhat cryptic in that they obscure the identities of the sitters. Like the image Hodler presents, they are distillations of the sitter without any extraneous details. This shortening was also done in an effort to maintain a harmonious symmetry of the Table of Contents, themselves, and keep titles to a one-line limit. The twenty-fourth title: “Bildnis des Schweizerischen Gesandten C.” was so long, even with abbreviation, that it required two lines; so, for the sake of maintaining symmetry, the fortieth title: “Bauernmadchen” was omitted from the list. This explains why the images are not numbered. Hodler’s reasoning is not purely esoteric. Symmetry and pattern reach beyond mere formal design principles. Finding sameness and imposing it over disorder goes to the root of Hodler’s identity and his art. A Swiss native, Hodler was bi-lingual and spoke German and French. Each printed image, even number forty, have titles in both of Hodler’s languages. Certainly, there was a market for Hodler’s work among francophones and this inclusion may have been a polite gesture to that end; however, this is the only place in the portfolio which includes French. With German titles at the lower left of each image, Hodler’s name at bottom center and corresponding French titles at the lower right of each image, there is a harmony and symmetry woven into all aspects of the portfolio. This holds true for the page design, as it applies to each printed image and as it describes the Swiss artist himself. Seen in this light, Hodler’s portfolio of printed work is the epitome of Hodler’s Parallelisme. DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS is also one of the most significant documents to best tell the story of how Hodler, from Switzerland, became caught between political cross-hairs and how the changing tides of nations directly impacted the artist during his lifetime as well as the accessibility of his art for generations to come. The Munich-based publisher of the portfolio, R. Piper & Co., Verlag, plays a crucial role in this story. Publishing on a wide range of subjects from philosophy and world religion to music, literature and the visual arts; the publisher’s breadth of inquiry within any one genre was equal in scope. Their marketing strategy to publish multiple works on Hodler offers great insight as to what a hot commodity Hodler was at that time. R.Piper & Co.’s Almanach, which they published in 1914 in commemoration of their first ten years in business, clearly illustrates the rapid succession- strategically calculated for achieving the deepest and broadest impact - in which they released three works on Hodler to hit the market by the close of 1914. DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS was their premier publication. It preceded C.A. Loosli’s Die Zeichnungen Ferdinand Hodlers, a print portfolio after 50 drawings by Hodler which was released in Autumn of 1914 at the mid-level price-point of 75-150 Marks; and a third less expensive collection of prints after original works by Hodler, which had not been included in either of the first two portfolios, was released at the end of that year entitled Ferdinand Hodler by Dr. Ewald Bender. The title and timing of DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS' debut leaves little doubt as to the connection it has with another avant-garde portfolio of art prints, Das Werk Gustav Klimts, released in 5 installments from 1908 -1914 by Galerie Miethke in Vienna. Hodler, himself, was involved in Klimt’s ground-breaking project. As the owner of Klimt’s 1901 painting, “Judith with the Head of Holifernes” which appears as the ninth collotype print in the second installment of Das Werk Gustav Klimts, Hodler was obliged to grant access of the painting to the art printers in Vienna for them to create the collotype sometime before 1908. Hodler had been previously invited in 1904 to take part in what would be the last exhibition of the Vienna Secession before Klimt and others associated with Galerie Miethke broke away. In an interview that same year, Hodler indicated that he respected and was impressed by Klimt. Hodler’s esteem for Klimt went beyond the art itself; he emulated Klimt’s method aimed at increasing his market reach and appeal to a wider audience by creating a print portfolio of his painted work. By 1914, Hodler and his publisher had the benefit of hindsight to learn from Klimt’s Das Werk publication. Responding to the sluggish sales of Klimt’s expensive endeavor, Hodler’s publisher devised the same diversified 1-2-3 strategy for selling Hodler’s Das Werk portfolio as they did with regards to all three works on Hodler they published that year. For their premium tier of DAS WERKS FERDINAND HODLERS, R. Piper & Co. issued an exclusive Museum quality edition of 15 examples on which Hodler signed each page. At a cost of 600 Marks, this was generally on par with Klimt’s asking price of 600 Kronen for his Das Werk portfolio. A middle-tiered Preferred edition of 30, costing somewhat less and with Hodler’s signature only on the Title Page, was also available. The General edition, targeting the largest audience with its much more affordable price of 150 Marks, is distinguishable by its smaller size. Rather than use the subscription format Miethke had chosen for Klimt’s portfolios which proved to have had its challenges, R. Piper & Co. employed a different strategy. In addition to instantly gratifying the buyer with all 40 of the prints comprising DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS and the choice among three price points, they advertised in German journals a fourth possibility of ordering single prints from them directly. These printed images are easily discernible from the three complete folio editions. The paper size of the single purchased images is of the larger format like the Museum and Preferred editions, measuring 65 h x 50 w cm; however, the paper itself is the same copper print paper used in the General edition and then mounted on poster board. The publishing house positioned itself to be a direct retailer of Hodler’s art. They astutely recognized the potential for profitability and the importance, therefore, of having proprietary control over his graphic works. R. Piper & Co. owned the exclusive printing rights to Hodler’s best work found in their three publications dating from 1914. That same year, a competing publication out of Weimar entitled Ferdinand Hodler: Ein Deutungsversuch von Hans Muhlestein appeared. Its author, a young scholar, expressed his frustration with the limited availability of printable work by Hodler. In his Author’s Note on page 19, dated Easter, 1914, Muhlestein confirms that the publisher of Hodler’s three works from that same year owned the exclusive reproductive rights to Hodler’s printed original work. He goes further to explain that even after offering to pay to use certain of those images in his book, the publisher refused. Clearly, a lot of jockeying for position in what was perceived as a hot market was occurring in 1914. Instead, their timing couldn’t have been more ill-fated, and what began with such high hopes suddenly found a much different market amid a hostile climate. The onset of WWI directly impacted sales. Many, including Ferdinand Hodler, publicly protested the September invasion by Germany of France in which the Reims Cathedral, re-built in the 13th century, was shelled, destroying priceless stained glass and statuary and burning off the iron roof and badly damaging its wooden interior. Thomas Gaehtgens, Director of the Getty Research Institute describes how the bombing of Reims Cathedral triggered blindingly powerful and deeply-felt ultra-nationalistic responses: “The event profoundly shocked French intellectuals, who for the most part had an intense admiration for German literature, music and art. By relying on press accounts and abstracting from the visual propagandistic content, they were unable to interpret the siege of Reims without turning away from German culture in disgust. Similarly, the German intelligentsia and bourgeoisie were also shocked to find themselves described as vandals and barbarians. Ninety-three writers, scientists, university professors, and artists signed a protest, directed against the French insults, that defended the actions of the German army.” In similar fashion, a flurry of open letters published in German newspapers and journals as well as telegrams and postcards sent directly to Hodler following his outcry in support of Reims reflected the collectively critical reaction to Hodler’s position. Loosli documents that among the list of telegrams Hodler received was one from none other than his publisher in Germany, R.Piper & Co. Allegiances were questioned. The market for Hodler in Germany immediately softened. Matters worsened for the publisher beyond the German backlash to Hodler and his loss of appeal in the home market; with the war in full swing until 1918, there was little chance a German publisher would have much interest coming from outside of Germany and Austria. Following the war and Hodler’s death in 1918, the economy in Germany continued to spiral out and just 5 years later, hyper-inflation had rendered its currency worthless vis-a-vis its value in the pre-war years. Like the economy, Hodler’s reputation was slow to find currency in these difficult times. Even many French art fans had turned sour on Hodler as they considered his long-standing relationship in German and Austrian art circles. Thus, the portfolio’s rarity in Hodler’s lifetime and, consequently, the availability of these printed images from DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS since his death has been scarce. In many ways, Hodler and his portfolios were casualties of war. Thwarted from their intended purpose of reaching a wide audience and show-casing Parallelisme, Hodler’s unique approach to art, this important, undated work has been both elusive and shrouded in mystery. Perhaps DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS was left undated as a means of affirming the timelessness of Hodler’s art. Digging back into the past, Hodler’s contemporaries, like R. Piper, C.A. Loosli and Hans Muhlestein, indeed provide the keys to unequivocally clarify what has largely been mired in obscurity. Just after Hodler’s death, the May, 1918 issue of the Burlington Review ran a small column which opined hope for better access to R.Piper & Co.’s DAS WERK FERDINAND HODLERS; 100 years later, it is finally possible. Hodler’s voice rings out through these printed works. Once more, his modern approach to depicting portraits, landscapes and grand scale scenes of Swiss history speak to us of what is universal. Engaging with any one of these images is the chance to connect to Hodler’s vision and his world view- weltanschauung in German, vision du monde in French- however one expresses these concepts through language, its message embedded in his work is the same: “We differ from one another, but we are like each other even more. What unifies us is greater and more powerful than what divides us.” Today, Hodler’s art couldn’t be more timely. FERDINAND HODLER (SWISS, 1853-1918) explored Parallelisme through figurative poses evocative of music, dance and ritual. His images of sex, night, desertion and death as well as his many landscapes exploring the universal longing for harmony with Nature are unique and important works embodying a Symbolist paradigm. Truly a Modern Master, Hodler’s influence can be felt in the work of Gustav Klimt and Kolomon Moser...
Category

1910s Symbolist Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper

Steamboat Odin Dampfer Odin - German Expressionism Woodcut Inscribed
Located in London, GB
LYONEL FEININGER 1871-1956 1871 - New York - 1956 (American/German) Title: Steamboat Odin Dampfer Odin, 1918 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Woodcut on Laid Japan Pa...
Category

1910s Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Sir Alfred Munnings "Humorist and Donoghue The Derby 1921"
Located in Bristol, CT
Sir Alfred J Munnings (England, 1878-1959) "Humorist" and Donoghue Going out for the Derby, 1921 First State Impression Frost & Reed London 1924 Pencil sig...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

George Grosz "Ecce Homo" Lithograph, 1921
Located in Berlin, DE
Color Lithograph on handmade paper from Ecce Homo, by George Grosz, 1921. Printed by Kunstanstalt Dr. Selle & Co. AG, Berlin. Published by Malik Verlag, 1923. Numbered in Roman numer...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Color, Lithograph

Figure assise, le bras droit appuyé sur une table
Located in London, GB
Henri Matisse Figure assise, le bras droit appuyé sur une table 1929 Etching on Chine appliqué on Arches Vélin paper, Edition of 25 Image size: 18.4 x 12.3 cms (7 1/4 x 4 3/4 ins) ...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

Tiger and Python by Orovida Pissarro, 1917 - Etching Print
Located in London, GB
SOLD UNFRAMED Tiger and Python by Orovida Pissarro (1893 - 1968) Etching 22.5 x 27 cm (8 ⅞ x 10 ⅝ inches) Signed, inscribed with title and dated 1917 State 1, no. 9/10 Provenance...
Category

1910s Figurative Prints

Materials

Etching

George Grosz Lithograph "Kraft und Anmut" ( Strength and Grace ), 1922
Located in Berlin, DE
Color Lithograph on handmade paper from Ecce Homo, by George Grosz, 1922 Printed by Kunstanstalt Dr. Selle & Co. AG, Berlin. Published by Malik Verlag, 1923 Numbered in Roman numeral...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Color, Lithograph

Nu, odalisque au coffret
Located in London, GB
Lithograph on Arches Velin paper, Edition of 50 Paper size: 50.6 x 66 cms (19 7/8 x 26 ins) Image size: 45.4 x 54 cms (17 7/8 x 21 1/4 ins)
Category

1920s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Lucky Bag Girl
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Print with Added Brushwork Signature: n/a Sight Size 10.00" x 8.00;" Framed 16.00" x 14.00" This is a small print with added brush work accenting the figure.
Category

1910s Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper

After Tea by Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro - Wood engraving
Located in London, GB
After Tea by Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro (1878-1952) Wood engraving 12 x 13.2 cm (4 ³/₄ x 5 ¹/₄ inches) Initialled and titled in the plate Executed circa 1917 Artist biography Ludovic-Rod...
Category

1910s Post-Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Children on the Shore Kinder am Ufer - German Expressionism
Located in London, GB
This original etching and drypoint is hand signed and dated in pencil by the artist "Erich Heckel 12" at the lower right margin. This work was hand printed by the artist in 1912 in ...
Category

1910s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

PROFIL A GAUCHE DE FEMME BAISSEE (LEFT PROFILE OF A WOMAN LYING DOWN).
Located in Portland, ME
Derain, Andre (French, 1880-1954). ROFIL A GAUCHE DE FEMME BAISSEE (LEFT PROFILE OF A WOMAN LYING DOWN). Adhemar 71, BN-IFF 17. Lithograph, 1927. One of 25 copies numbered in Roman n...
Category

1920s Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Nudes and Horses, 1911
Located in London, GB
BELA KADAR 1877-1956 Budapest 1877-1956 (Hungarian) Title: Nudes and Horses, 1911 Technique: Original Hand Signed Pastel on paper size: 63 x 94.5 cm / 24.8 x 37.2 in Additional Information: This work is a pastel by the famous Hungarian artist Bela Kadar. It is hand-signed in pencil "Kadar Bela...
Category

1910s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Pastel

Decorating with Figurative Art Prints and Works on Paper

Bring energy and an array of welcome colors and textures into your space by decorating with figurative fine-art prints and works on paper.

Figurative art stands in contrast to abstract art, which is more expressive than representational. The oldest-known work of figurative art is a figurative painting — specifically, a rock painting of an animal made over 40,000 years ago in Borneo. This remnant of a remote past has long faded, but its depiction of a cattle-like creature in elegant ocher markings endures.

Since then, figurative art has evolved significantly as it continues to represent the world, including a breadth of works on paper, including printmaking. This includes woodcuts, which are a type of relief print with perennial popularity among collectors. The artist carves into a block and applies ink to the raised surface, which is then pressed onto paper. There are also planographic prints, which use metal plates, stones or other flat surfaces as their base. The artist will often draw on the surface with grease crayon and then apply ink to those markings. Lithographs are a common version of planographic prints.

Figurative art printmaking was especially popular during the height of the Pop art movement, and this kind of work can be seen in artist Andy Warhol’s extensive use of photographic silkscreen printing. Everyday objects, logos and scenes were given a unique twist, whether in the style of a comic strip or in the use of neon colors.

Explore an impressive collection of figurative art prints for sale on 1stDibs and read about how to arrange your wall art.

Recently Viewed

View All