Symbolist Art

Denise Jones Adler's work is both personal and archetypical and seeks to memorialize a moment in time, the fragile nature of life, and the emotional impact of the past on the present...

A dark yet vibrant and expertly executed painting full of personal symbolism concepts to numerous to cover in a few sentences, by Ralph Thompson (aka Akili Nali) (American, B-circa 1...

Meeting is a wonderful original print on brownish paper, realized by the French artist, Constantin Guys (1802 -1892). In very good condition, including a pet...

Ex Libris - Ruter is a Woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Numbered on the left corner, ex. n. 6/30 Very good condition. Michel Fing...

Etching realized by Fritz Schwimbeck in 1918. Edition of 125 realized in Munich on mulberry paper. Hand signed in pencil.

Etching on vélin paper, realized by Beier in the early 20th Century. Signed on the plate at the top right, countersigned in pencil at the bottom right. Good condition.

Lithographe published by les peintres lithographes ( blue stamp ) ; signed with pencil in the right lower corner, numbered 17 with ink in the lower left corner. Provenance : collecti...

Denise Jones Adler's work is both personal and archetypical and seeks to memorialize a moment in time, the fragile nature of life, and the emotional impact of the past on the present...

Triumph der Salome is a black and white héliogravure on cream-colored cardboard realized by Choisy Le Conin, pseudonym of Franz Von Bayros (Agram, 1866 – Vienna, 1924). From Mappe, ...

Ex Libris - Fingesten is a colored Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Very Good condition. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Cze...

Ex Libris - Dr. Nicolàs Leòn is a Modern Artwork realized in Mid 20th Century B/W woodcut on paper. The work is glued on ivory cardboard. Total dimensions: 21x 14.5 cm. Exce...

Ex Libris - Mantero is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten in 1937. Signed in plate and dated on the lower right margin. Good conditions except some foxings that doesn't af...

In the painter's eyes, painting is an anthem of elegance and of beauty, as music. This artwork is a symbolist oil painting by Andrée Bars. Andrée Bars is a French painter. Having been strictly trained for 4 years by the American hyper-realist painter Mr. Ted Seth Jacobs, who himself inherited 19th century masters’ skills from his own professor, Andrée Bars learned the profession of painting in its purest tradition. She still applies these ancient masters...

Figure is an original etching artwork realized by Fingesten. The state of preservation is good except for a line of folding. Stamp on the rear "MICHEL FINGESTEN" The artwork repre...

Die Zauberflote is an original rare book written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and illustrated by Max Slevogt (Landshut, 8 October 1868 – Leinsweiler , 20...

BRITISH SCHOOL (20th Century) Landscape with Viaduct and White Cliffs Signed with monogram l.r. Pastel Framed 18.5 by 10 cm., 7 ¼ by 4 in. (frame size 39.5 by 30 cm., 15 ½ by 11 ¾...

Le Pot au Lait is a beautiful and rare engraving of the second half of the XIX century, realized with different techniques by the Belgian artist Felicien Rops. This is a Last State a...

By developing a geometry between line and the spaces in between in their work, the four abstractionists featured in Transcendental create a point of departure for the mind into a sp...

Le Fleur Du Marécage is a phototype reproduction realized after Odilon Redon. They belong to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in ...

Ex Libris - Ernest Monteux is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten in 1930s. Hand signed on the lower margin. Numbered on the left corner, ex. 149/150 Good conditions. Mi...

Candid oder der optimismus is an original modern rare book written by Voltaire and illustrated by Max Unold (Memmingen, 1885 - Munich, 1964) in 1913. Original Edition. 800 Numbere...

Oil and oil stick Whether the subject matter is figuration or nature, Audrey Anastasi approaches all her subjects directly and unabashedly. In this pa...

Abel Pann (1883–1963) was a European Jewish painter who settled in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem in the early twentieth century and taught at the Bezalel Academy of Art under...

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...

Ex Libris - Piet Van Veen is a Modern Artwork realized in Mid 20th Century B/W woodcut on ivory paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimension...

Drypoint and aquatint (brown ink) on cream paper. Signed "Rehn" in pencil on the lower right margin. Titled and numbered in pencil on the lower left margin. Edition of 25 prints. Fr...

Libro de Miguel Angel Dieguez is a Modern Artwork realized in 1903, by the Spanish Artist Joaquín Diéguez y Díaz. Coloured woodcut on paper. Hand signed on the back The work is g...

Ex Libris is a woodcut print by Michel Fingesten, realized in 1936. Hand signed, included a white cardboard passpartout (24x30 cm). In excellent conditions: As good as new. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter and engraver of Jewish origin. He is considered one of the greatest Ex Libris artists in history. From an Austrian weaver father and a Jewish mother...

Potiphar is a colored cliché from watercolor on cream-colored cardboard realized by Choisy Le Conin, as is remembered Franz Von Bayros (Agram, 1866 – Vienna, 1924). From Mappe, a po...

Métiers des Hommes is an Original Rare book written by Pierre Courthion (1902-1988) and illustrated by Kurt Seligmann (Basel, 1900 - Middletown, 1961) in 1936. Original Edition. Pu...

Ex Libris P. de Sanctis is a colored woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czec...

La Première Conscience Du Chaos is a lithograph realized after Odilon Redon. It belongs to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in 19...

Ex Libris Heeren Herta is an etching realized by Michel Fingesten, in 1936. No signed, included a white cardboard passpartout (30x24 cm). In excellent conditions: As good as new. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter and engraver of Jewish origin. He is considered one of the greatest Ex Libris artists in history. From an Austrian weaver father and a Jewish mother from Trieste. At 16 he studied at the Vienna Academy, together with Oskar Kokoschka. From 1902 to 1906 he wandered around America, and then Australia, before arriving in Palermo in 1907. He went up the peninsula via Trieste and returning to Germany, first settling in Munich in Franz von Stuck's studio, practicing caricature and small format graphics and then in Berlin. In 1913 he began to record. He returned to Italy in 1935 to visit his maternal relatives from Trieste and remained there because of the racial persecutions to which the Jews in Silesia were subject, settling in Milan. In this period he recorded about 500 exlibris. On 9 October 1940 he was arrested and interned as a foreigner in the camp of Civitella del Tronto and then of Ferramonti, (Cosenza) from November 1941 and will be accused by the Nazis of having painted degenerate art...

Ex Libris - Mary Talbot is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painte...

Ex Libris - Eroticis M.B. is a colored woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a C...

Ex Libris - Nina Tosi is a woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter a...

Ex Libris is a woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten in 1937. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter an...

Ex Libris - Malz- is a colored woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten, in 1936. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a...

Deutsches Dichterjubilaum is a book written by Arno Holz (1863 – 1929) and illustrated by Hans Steiner (1907-1962) and in 1923. Original First Edition. Published by Werkverlag, Be...

Ex Libris - H. Malz is a colored Woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. The artwork is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 29 x 22.5...

Ex Libris - Sabattini is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Very Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech pai...

Ex Libris - Ex Bibliotheca Macabrum is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten in 1939. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter and engraver of Je...

Kriegsnotspende für Leipzig is an amazing black and white etching on paper, realized in 1909 by the German painter, Bruno Héroux (Leipzig, 1868-1944). Sig...

Ex Libris - In Memoriam Dr. Th. Simon is a woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten in 1935. Hand signed on the lower margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was...

Ex Libris - Violette Talbot is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand signed on the lower margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter ...

Ex Libris - M.G. Van Wees is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten in 1940. Hand signed on the lower margin. Numbered on the left corner, ex. 149/150 Good conditions. Mich...

Ex Libris Vieira is an Artwork realized in 1956. Woodcut print on ivory-colored paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 20.5 x 15 cm. The artwork represents...

Salome Tanzt is a colored cliché from watercolor on cream-colored cardboard realized by Choisy Le Conin, as is remembered Franz Von Bayros (Agram, 1866 – Vienna, 1924). From Mappe, ...

Ex Libris - J.Piny Soleris is a Modern Artwork realized in Mid-20th Century. Ex Libris. B/W woodcut on paper. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: 21x 15 cm. Ex...

Der Zeichner is a superb etching made around 1900 by a still unknown author, but surely from the circle of Max Klinger (Leipzig, 1857 - Grossjena, 1920). Title on plate in the lower margin in the center. Posthumous impression of a matrix by an unknown author. The style refers to the Griffelkunst and the prescriptions of the Max Klinger "school of stylus"and of the artists who were close to him. In particular, for the subject in question, in the circle of Max Klinger, Saschia Schneider stands out, who placed male...

Erfüllung is a black and white héliogravure on cream-colored cardboard realized by Choisy Le Conin, pseudonym of Franz Von Bayros (Agram, 1866 – Vienna, 1924). From Mappe, a portfol...

Ex Libris - Prof. Dr. Rudolf Voon Soo is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Very good condition. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) w...

Ex Libris - Istvan Traurig is a Woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Signed on plate on back. The work is glued on cardboard. Total dimensions: cm 32x24 Good conditions. ...

"Der Gute Hirte" is an original Black and white héliogravure on cream-colored cardboard realized by Choisy Le Conin, pseudonym of Franz Von Bayros (Agram, 1866 – Vienna, 1924). Fro...

Rosenlaube is an amazing black and white etching on paper, realized in 1909 by the German painter, Bruno Héroux (Leipzig, 1868-1944). Signature and Title ...

Ex Libris - Mantero is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painter and eng...

Ex Libris Arnaldo Pescatore- is a woodcut print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech...

Profil de Lumière is a phototype reproduction realized after Odilon Redon. They belong to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in 192...