Gerhard Marcks (German, 1889–1981)

Owl (Eule) and Birds II (Vögel II) (headpiece and in-text plate, page 14) from Tierfabeln des Aesop (Aesop's Fables)

Author:

Aesop

Date:

(1950, print executed 1949-50)

Medium:

Two from an illustrated book with thirty-five woodcuts (including woodcut cover, title page and ornamental initials)

Dimensions:

composition (owl, irreg.): 2 1/16 x 2 5/16" (5.2 x 5.9 cm); composition (birds, irreg.): 1 1/2 x 5 1/8" (3.8 x 13 cm); page: 13 x 9 1/16" (33 x 23 cm)

Paper:

Cream, smooth, wove.

Publisher:

Grillen-Presse, Hamburg

Printer:

Richard von Sichowsky, Hamburg

Edition:

1st edition: 175 (including 50 on white "Hahnemühle-Bütten," bound in half-parchment; 100 on cream "Hahnemühle-Bütten," unbound in "Bütten" cover [this ex.]; and 25 hors-commerce); 2nd edition, 1980: 700

Credit Line:

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Fund

Copyright:

© 2016 Gerhard-Marcks-Stiftung, Bremen, Germany

Reference:

Lammek H.484-11 (owl). Lammek H.484-12 (birds).

MoMA Number:

305.1950.7

Themes:

Literary Subjects, Nature

Techniques:

Woodcut