Symbolist Art

"Prometheus" 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). From Map...

Die tapferen Zehntausend is an book written by Carl Witt and illustrated by Max Slevogt (Landshut, 8 October 1868 – Leinsweiler , 20 September 1932) in 19...

Colosseum is a modern artwork realized by Antonio Carbonati in 1947. Black and white etching Includes passepartout Hand signed and dated on the lower margin Original title: Colosseo Palatino Celio Via dei Trionfi dai balconi di casa Carcano sul Colle Aventino Good conditions except for yellowing of paper. Antonio Carbonati (1893 - 1956).  He published a series of engravings of Rome...

“Haystacks. Slavsko” - Symphony of Carpathian life Oleksandr Khrapachov, You are looking at an outstanding work of contemporary Ukrainian art - “Stogi. Slavsko”, created by a talen...

"Ex Libris Chamberlain"  is a woodcut on ivory-colorated paper by  Michel Fingesten,  Early 20th Century. Hand signed in pencil. In excellent conditions: As good as new. Michel Fing...

Bildnis mit florentiner Hut. is a beautiful black and white etching on cream-colored and laid paper, realized in 1898 by Hans Thoma. Monogram and Date on p...

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...

Fight Between Centaurs from "Intermezzi" is an original print realized by Max Klinger in 1881. Signature and number of the print on plate. Black and white etching and aquatint. Ori...

Substantial and symbolic oil painting titled "Future" by Nune Asatryan (b.1967). Strong symbolic image of a ship at sea and bold anchor and chain...

Memento Mori is a modern artwork realized by Franz Biedermann (attr.) in 1902. Large-format drawing depicting a skull lying on an open book, in front of a large crucifix...

Amour is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print Good conditions.

Ruines du Chateau de Tancarville is a black and White etching realized by Alfred-Luois Burnet Debaines in the 1860s.  Titled in the lower. Image size: 31x22. Very good impression ...

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Moreover they made garments of ministration to minister in the Sanctuarie; they made also the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lorde had commanded Moses Li...

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses sayde to Ioshua, 'Chuse us our men, and goe fight with Amalek Lithograph from 1966. The ed...

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...

"Ex Libris Eugène Strens"  is an etching on ivory-colorated paper by  Michel Fingesten,  Early 20th Century. Hand signed in pencil. In excellent conditions: As good as new. Michel F...

Lady is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print, Included a Passepartout. Good conditions.

"Ex Libris"  is an Etching, Ex Libris, on ivory-colorated paper by Michel Fingesten . In excellent conditions: As good as new. Not signed. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czec...

Opus IV, Simplicius in der Waldeinode (Simplicius in the Wilderness) belongs to a series of prints called Intermezzi realized by Max Klinger, published by Nurnberg: Stroefer, 1881. ...

The Bath is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print, Including a Passepartout Good conditions.

The Arrow is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print, Including a Passepartout Good conditi...

Grief is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print. Including a Passepartout. Good conditions...

Nude is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print, Including a Passepartout Good conditions.

The  Lady and Mirror is from Illustrations for Cressidra, a print on paper realized by André Suares in 1926.  Etching and drypoint Edition of 200 print, Including a Passepartout G...

"Umzugsanzeige"  is a woodcut on ivory-colorated paper by Michel Fingesten,  Early 20th Century. Hand signed and with hand notes in pencil. In excellent conditions: As good as new. ...

"Hand"  is a woodcut on ivory-colorated paper by Michel Fingesten,  Early 20th Century. Hand signed and with hand notes in pencil. In excellent conditions: As good as new. Sigla of ...

Figure is a prototype reproduction realized after Odilon Redon. They belong to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in 1923. Titled ...

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...

Illustration from the series "Les Fleurs du Mal" is an etching print realized after Odilon Redon and published by Henri Felury in 1923. Monogrammed on the plate. Good conditions. ...

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...

David 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 portfolio o...

Ex Libris - Mantero - Melanconico-Allegro is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a C...

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...

John Kingerlee. Irish ( b.1936 ). John, 1967. A Self-Portrait. Ink On Paper. Signed & Dated Lower Left. Image size 11 inches x 8.5 inches ( 28cm x 21.5cm ). Frame size 15 inches x ...

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - And Moses beheld all the worke, and beholde, they had done it as the Lorde had commanded; and Moses blessed them Lithograph from 1966. The edition of 20 ...

Running Death from Intermezzi belongs to a series of prints called Intermezzi realized by Max Klinger, published by Nurnberg: Stroefer, 1881. Etching on paper. Signed and dated on ...

Fallen Rider  from Intermezzi belongs to a series of prints called Intermezzi realized by Max Klinger, published by Nurnberg: Stroefer, 1881. Etching on paper. Signed on the plate ...

Titled "The kindly ones" and by Andrée Bars, this oil painting on canvas captures a striking combination of realism and fantasy, depicting three female faces gracefully positioned against a serene background. Each face is distinct, offering a different perspective and expression, perhaps symbolizing various facets of human emotion or thought. Behind them, a beautifully detailed world map stretches across a globe, emphasizing themes of global connection and exploration. The atmosphere is further enriched by the ethereal presence of white doves, which are universally recognized symbols of peace. These elements coalesce into a surreal yet harmonious composition that invites viewers to ponder the deeper connections between humanity and the world at large. The overall effect is both captivating and thought-provoking, showcasing the artist's skill in blending the real with the symbolic to evoke introspection and wonder. 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...

Sire Halewyn is an original drypoint and color pencil on Japanese paper, realized by Fernand Khnopff in 1893, hand-signed and titled. In very good conditions. Fernand Khnopff's ...

Simplicius' Writing Lesson (Simplici Schreibstunde) (plate VII) belongs to a series of prints called Intermezzi realized by Max Klinger, published by Nurnberg: Stroefer, 1881. Etchi...

Ex Libris - Gianni Mantero -Ex Musicis is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the lower margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Cze...

Ex Libris - Negreanu is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Monogrammed on plate on the right margin. Good conditions. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech painte...

Ange Déchu is a prototype reproduction realized after Odilon Redon. They belong to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in 1923. Tit...

Dante's Vision is a lithograph realized after a watercolor by Odilon Redon. They belong to the suite "Odilon Redon Peintre, Dessinateur et Graveur", published by Henri Felury in 19...

Ex Libris  - Giorgio Balbi  - Sine Labe is an Artwork in Mid 20th Century. Woodcut. Good conditions.

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Jonah II Lithograph from 1972. This impression is notated as “Epreuve d’exposition H.C”. apart from the edition of 50 on Japon paper. Unsigned and unnum...

ROBERT TRAILL ROSE (1863-1942) Primordium Vitae Signed with monogram; signed, inscribed with title and the artist’s address and dated 1899 on a labe...

Ex Libris et Musicis Mantero is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten. Hand Signed on the right margin. Very good condition. Michel Fingesten (1884 - 1943) was a Czech pa...

Illustration from the series "Les Fleurs du Mal" is an etching print realized after Odilon Redon and published by Henri Felury in 1923. Monogrammed on the plate. Good conditions, w...

"A counter courant" abstract on linen canvas 100x100 cm 2022 Filled with all that we hear, all the information, I felt the need for an immersion in the protective blue, that of the i...

Die Elixiere des Teufels is an original modern rare book written by Hoffman E.T.A. (24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) and illustrated by Hugo Steiner-Prag (Prague, 1880 - New York, 194...

Ex Libris - Dr. Walter Vogel is an Etching print created by Michel Fingesten, in 1923. Hand Signed and dated on the right margin. Good conditions except some foxings. Michel Fi...

Fantastical portrayal of five white doves surrounded by flowers and clusters of grapes in a dreamy, colorful vineyard garden setting by Mohammad Hourian (Iranian/American, 1955-2014)...

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Le Sept Péchés Capitaux Etching from 1925. Edition of 300 proofs. Dimensions of work: 25 x 19.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Kornfeld 47....

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Le Sept Péchés Capitaux Etching from 1925. Edition of 300 proofs. Dimensions of work: 25 x 19.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Kornfeld 47....

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Le Sept Péchés Capitaux Etching from 1925. Edition of 300 proofs. Dimensions of work: 25 x 19.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Kornfeld 47....

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Le Sept Péchés Capitaux Etching from 1925. Edition of 300 proofs. Dimensions of work: 25 x 19.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Kornfeld 47....

Marc Chagall (1887-1985) - Le Sept Péchés Capitaux Etching from 1925. Edition of 300 proofs. Dimensions of work: 25 x 19.5 cm. Publisher: Tériade, Paris. Reference: Kornfeld 47....