Otto Mueller
1874 - 1930
Titelholzschnitt für die Siebte Jahresmappe der Brücke 1912. 1912.
Golden Woodcut.
From an edition of 100 copies. On black, single-folded wove paper. 37.8 x 30.4 cm (14.8 x 11.9 in). Sheet: 57,9 x 44 cm (22,7 x 17,3 in).
Cover and title woodcut based on a design by Otto Mueller for the Seventh Annual Portfolio of Die Brücke, 1912 (Max Pechstein). Due to Pechstein’s withdrawal from the artists’ group, this portfolio—unlike the previous ones—was distributed to passive members of the group only upon request. [AW].
• Exceptional color palette in Otto Mueller’s characteristic style.
• In the summer of 1912, Max Pechstein exhibited at the Berlin Secession despite prior agreement with the “Brücke” artists and was subsequently expelled.
• Significant provenance: Once part of the collection of the Hamburg dental surgeon and passive member of the “Brücke” artist group Elsa Hopf (1875–1943).
• Another copy of this woodcut is in the collection of the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.

PROVENANCE: Collection of Elsa Hopf (1875–1943), Hamburg (until 1943).
Estate of Elsa Hopf, Hamburg.
Olbricht Collection, Essen/Berlin (acquired from the above in 2015).

LITERATURE: Florian Karsch, Otto Mueller. The Complete Graphic Works, Berlin 1974, CR no. 5.
Gerhart Söhn, Handbuch der Original-Graphik in deutschen Zeitschriften, Mappenwerken, Kunstbüchern und Katalogen (HDO) 1890–1933, vol. II, Düsseldorf 1990, CR no. 217-1.
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Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen, Munich, Auction 124B, Dec. 9, 2015, lot 22.

In good condition. Slight wear in places. A few minor creases, more frequently along the left fold. Two small tears on the lower edge of the sheet and one in the middle of the left edge, all professionally restored. The paper surface is slightly damaged in places in the lower left corner. The paper has been joined together at the two outer right corners.
For information concerning the condition, please view the high resolution image / backside image.