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Josef Scharl
Mockery / - Desk Perpetrators -

1964

About the Item

Josef Scharl (1896 Munich - 1954 New York), Mockery, 1935 (1964), Bronner 30 A. Woodcut on Japanese paper, 51.8 x 25.7 cm (image), 65 cm x 37 cm (sheet size), signed lower right in the printing block with the initials “JS”, identified lower left in lead as copy no. 30 / 30 and signed in lead by Alois Scharl on the reverse. This is a reprint from the original printing block made by Galerie Nierendorf in 1964. - Slight creases in the left corners and mounting residue on the reverse, otherwise in excellent, fresh condition - Desk Perpetrators - At the end of a conference table that extends into the picture, St. Sebastian stands, pierced by arrows. In contrast to the people in suits, he wears only a loincloth, adding to the contrast with the "other" people. As desk-bound perpetrators, they have brought about the martyrdom with their "long-range weapons" and elevate themselves above the saint by completely ignoring him and the suffering they have caused and instead continuing with their usual actions. And yet the saint is the real protagonist of the image. He is approached by the white surface of the table, which appears as bright as Sebastian's body, while those seated at the table are dressed in dark clothes. His body and face also radiate a beauty that makes the ugliness of the perpetrators appear all the more striking. Josef Scharl's large-format woodcut, created in 1935, reflects the approaching inhuman era of murder. About the artist In addition to training as a decorative painter, which he began in 1910, Josef Scharl attended evening classes in nude painting. After his military service from 1915 to 1918, he studied at the Munich Art Academy from 1919 to 1921 under Angelo Jank and Heinrich von Zügel. However, he turned his back on the academy and joined the Munich New Secession in 1923 and the artists' association 'Die Juryfreien' in 1929. During these years Scharl became a recognized artist, which was reflected in the awarding of the Dürer Prize of the City of Nuremberg (1929), the Rome Prize of the Berlin Academy of Art (1930), the Prize of the Munich Academy (1931), and the Förderpreis of the City of Essen (1932). The Rome Prize enabled him to spend extended periods in Rome and Paris from 1930 to 1932. As a member of the Deutscher Künstlerbund, he participated in its annual exhibitions from 1930 to 1936. After the National Socialists seized power, Scharl's works were still shown in solo exhibitions at the renowned Neumann-Nierendorf Gallery in Berlin until 1935, but the artist was increasingly subjected to reprisals and emigrated to the USA via Switzerland without his family in 1938. He was motivated to do so by an invitation from the Museum of Modern Art to exhibit together with Max Beckmann, Georg Scholz, Erich Heckel and Karl Hofer. In the USA, Scharl was supported by Albert Einstein, with whom he was on friendly terms and who wrote a memorial speech after the artist's death in 1954. In 1945, Karl Nierendorf published Scharl's first American monograph and presented his drawings in his New York gallery. Through Wolfgang Sauerländer, the artist illustrated the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm for the publisher ‘Pantheon Books’. The book, published in 1944, enjoyed great popularity and led to further follow-up commissions. Josef Scharls became a US citizen in 1952 and died two years later. GERMAN VERSION Josef Scharl (1896 München - 1954 New York), Verspottung, 1935 (1964), Bronner 30 A. Holzschnitt auf Japanpapier, 51,8 x 25,7 cm (Darstellung), 65 cm x 37 cm (Blattgröße), unten rechts im Druckstock mit den Initialen „JS“ signiert, unten links in Blei als Exemplar Nr. 30 / 30 ausgewiesen und rückseitig in Blei von Alois Scharl signiert. Es handelt sich um den 1964 von der Galerie Nierendorf angefertigten Nachdruck vom originalen Druckstock. - an den linken Eckbereichen leichte Knickspuren und dort rückseitig Montagereste, ansonsten in ausgezeichnetem farbfrischem Zustand - Schreibtischtäter - Am Ende eines ins Bild hineinfluchtenden Konferenztisches steht der von Pfeilen durchbohrte Heilige Sebastian. Im Gegensatz zu den Anzugsträgern ist er bloß mit einem Lendenschurz bekleidet, was den Kontrast zur gänzlich ‚anderen Sorte‘ Mensch noch erhöht. Als Schreibtischtäter haben sie das Martyrium mit ihren ‚Fernwaffen‘ herbeigeführt und erheben sich über den Heiligen, indem sie ihn und damit das durch sie verursachte Leid gänzlich ignorieren und stattdessen in ihrem üblichen Agieren fortfahren. Und doch ist der Heilige der eigentliche Protagonist des Bildes. Auf ihn läuft die weiße Fläche des Tisches zu, die ebenso hell erscheint wie Sebastians Körper, während die am Tisch Sitzenden dunkel gekleidet sind. Auch strahlen sein Körper und sein Gesicht eine Schönheit aus, die die Hässlichkeit der Täter umso frappierender erscheinen lässt. Mit dem 1935 geschaffenen großformatigen Holzschnitt reflektiert Josef Scharl die heraufziehende menschenverachtende Zeit des Mordens. zum Künstler Neben einer 1910 begonnenen Ausbildung zum Dekorationsmaler besuchte Josef Scharl Abendkurse für Aktmalerei. Nach dem von 1915 bis 1918 absolvierten Kriegsdienst studierte er von 1919 bis 1921 an der Münchener Kunstakademie bei Angelo Jank und Heinrich von Zügel. Er kehrte der Akademie allerdings den Rücken und schloss sich 1923 der Münchener Neuen Secession und 1929 der Künstlervereinigung ‚Die Juryfreien‘ an. In diesen Jahren wurde Scharl zuem anerkannten Künstler, was sich in der Verleihung des Dürerpreis der Stadt Nürnberg (1929), dem Rompreis der Berliner Kunstakademie (1930), dem Preis der Münchner Akademie (1931) und dem Förderpreis der Stadt Essen (1932) niederschlug. Der Rompreis ermöglichte ihm von 1930 bis 1932 längere Aufenthalte in Rom und Paris. Als Mitglied des Deutschen Künstlerbundes nahm er von 1930 bis 1936 an den Jahresausstellungen teil. Nach der Machtergreifung der Nationalsozialisten fanden zwar bis 1935 noch Einzelausstellungen von Scharls Werken in der renommierten Berliner Galerie Neumann-Nierendorf statt, doch sah sich der Künstler zusehends Repressalien ausgesetzt, so dass er 1938 ohne seine Familien über die Schweiz in die USA emigrierte. Dazu motivierte ihn eine Einladung des Museum of Modern Art gemeinsam mit Max Beckmann, Georg Scholz, Erich Heckel und Karl Hofer auszustellen. In den USA wurde Scharl von Albert Einstein unterstützt, mit dem er freundschaftlich verbunden war und der nach dem Tod des Künstlers 1954 eine Gedenkrede verfasste. 1945 publizierte Karl Nierendorf die erste amerikanische Monographie Scharls und präsentierte dessen Zeichnungen in seiner New Yorker Galerie. Durch Vermittlung Wolfgang Sauerländers illustrierte der Künstler für den Verlag ‚Pantheon Books‘ die Märchen der Brüder Grimm. Das 1944 erschienene Buch erfreute sich großer Beliebtheit und führte zu weiteren Folgeaufträgen. 1952 wurde Josef Scharls US-Amerikanischer Staatsbürger und verstarb zwei Jahre später.
  • Creator:
    Josef Scharl (1896 - 1954, American, German)
  • Creation Year:
    1964
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 24.81 in (63 cm)Width: 18.12 in (46 cm)Depth: 0.4 in (1 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Berlin, DE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2438216127012

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