A Collection of Bauhaus Prints, Wiemar, 1919 – 1923,

Formerly In The Collection Of Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack

Lots 81 – 89

This group of prints, which has come directly from Ludwig HirschfeldMack’s family, is a fascinating document of his years at the Weimar Bauhaus, highlighting the diversity and creative range of graphic arts within the school, as well as the nature of the relationships and professional camaraderie that existed between students and teachers. In addition to a number of Hirschfeld-Mack’s own prints made during the early 1920s, this selection includes work by three renowned artists and Bauhaus Masters – as the teachers were known – Lyonel Feininger, Oskar Schlemmer and Paul Klee.

Hirschfeld-Mack was one of the first students to enrol at the Bauhaus in October 1919 and he began his apprenticeship in the graphic printing workshop, learning various printmaking techniques and mastering the use of the printing press. Undertaking commissions for external clients, as well as limited edition fine art printing, he was involved in the production (and perhaps also the design) of some of the portfolio covers of the Neue Europäische Graphik series.1 The two stylised figure compositions by Oskar Schlemmer – Master at the Bauhaus from 1921 – 29 and a close friend of Hirschfeld-Mack – in this group were included in the first of these portfolios, published in 1922, alongside woodcuts, lithographs and etchings by other Bauhaus Masters (Feininger, Klee, Johannes Itten, Gerhard Marcks, Georg Muche and Lothar Schreyer). A significant example of Hirschfeld-Mack’s graphic oeuvre, the lithograph Reaching the Stars , 1922, is an exemplar of his creative skill –ambitious in scale and composition, it may have been submitted as part of the work required for promotion from apprentice to journeyman. 2 As he explained, it ‘[represents] the man who was capable of applying technical advances with electricity… in everyday life’ 3 and the National Gallery of Victoria impression of this print, which is embellished with gold leaf, appears to depict this quite literally.

Part of the Bauhaus staff from its inception, Lyonel Feininger designed the woodcut which illustrated the cover of the 1919 manifesto, and ran the graphic printing workshop from late 1920. Hirschfeld-Mack is known to have printed some of Feininger’s prints during his time at the school, sometimes hand-printing the blocks which, as a result of being carved into cigar box lids, were too fragile to be run through the press. Evidently pleased with the result, the master gifted some of these prints to his student and the example included here, Tahiti , 1920, is characteristic of his woodcuts which skilfully exploit the expressive and textural potential of the medium.4

It was not all study and work at the Bauhaus however, and the year was marked by four annual celebrations which brought together members of both the school and broader communities: the lantern festival, the summer solstice party, the kite festival and Christmas. 5 Hirschfeld-Mack remembered, ‘There was a kite festival, when we marched in procession through Weimar to the top of the hill, with hundreds of school children. There were lantern festivals when lanterns made in the workshops were carried through the streets at night.’ 6 The 1922 Drachenfest, or kite festival, is represented here by two small lithographs by Hirschfeld-Mack. Joyously coloured in vivid red and yellow watercolour, they illustrate figures in the landscape flying striking box-shaped kites. This group of prints also includes a famous lithographic postcard for the 1922 lantern party by Paul Klee – Master at the Bauhaus between 1921 – 31 – which has been delicately handcoloured and depicts four figures holding their lanterns aloft. A second postcard by Oskar Schlemmer for the same event adopts a different approach, focussing on the paper lanterns and describing their varied forms and bright colours against a black background (the night sky), which is illuminated by a full moon and two sparkling stars.

1. Schwarzbauer, R. with Bell, C., Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack: More Than a Bauhaus Artist , HistorySmiths, Melbourne, 2021, p. 39

2. Ibid., p. 43

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid., p. 40

5. Droste, M., Bauhaus 1919 – 1933 , Bauhaus-Archiv Museum für Gestaltung, Berlin, 1990, pp. 37 – 38

6. The artist, quoted in Stephen, A., ‘Bauhaus Now!’, Bauhaus Now! , Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne, 2019, p. 12, https://buxtoncontemporary.com/exhibitions/bauhaus-nowexhibition-catalogue, accessed online 20 March 2023

KIRSTY GRANT

LUDWIG HIRSCHFELD–MACK (1893 – 1965, German/Australian)

UNTITLED (BAUHAUS AUSSTELLUNG), 1923 lithograph on paper 9.0 x 14.0 cm (sheet)

ESTIMATE: $2,000 – 4,000

Literature

Stasny, P., Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack: Bauhaus e visioni , Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany, 2000, cat. 51, pp. 1 (illus., as ‘Untitled (Bauhaus Cartoon)’), 60, 61 (illus.)

Koepnick, G., and Stamm, R., The Bauhaus Postcards , Insel Verlag, Berlin, 2019, pp. 52 (illus.), 80

Related Work

Provenance

The estate of the artist

Private collection, Italy

EXHIBITED

Bauhaus e visioni, Museum of Modern Art, Bolzano, Vienna, 17 March – 28 May 2000; Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna, Austria, 14 June – 22 October 2000 and Jewish Museum Frankfurt, Germany, 13 December 2000 – 22 April 2001, cat. 51 (as ‘Untitled (Bauhaus Cartoon)’)

Bauhaus 1919 – 1933: Workshops for Modernity, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 8 November 2009 – 25 January 2010 (another example)

Another example of this print is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

PROVENANCE

PAUL KLEE

(1879 – 1940, Swiss/German)

LATERNENFEST BAUHAUS , 1922 colour lithograph and watercolour on paper 9.0 x 13.5 cm (image) signed within image lower left: Klee

ESTIMATE: $8,000 – 12,000

Estate of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Melbourne Private collection, Italy

EXHIBITED

Paul Klee at Play, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, 5 November 2019 – 14 May 2017 (another example)

LITERATURE

Bayer, W., Gropius, W., & Gropius I., Bauhaus 1919 – 1928, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1938, p. 86 (illus., another example)

Thrall Soby, J., The Prints of Paul Klee , Museum of Modern

82 Art, New York, 1947, pl. 30 (illus., another example)

Franciscono, M., ‘Paul Klees kubistische Graphik’ in Paul Klee; Das graphische and plastische Werk, Bern: Stämpli + Cie A.G., Duisburg, 1974, p. 54 (illus., another example)

Klee, F., Paul Klee, Rosenwind: Farbbilder, Zeichnungen und autobiographische Notizen, Herder, Germany, 1984, p. 41 Droste, M., Bauhaus 1919 – 1933 , Bauhaus-Archiv Museum für Gestaltung, Berlin, 1990, p. 38 (illus.)

The Paul Klee Foundation (ed.), Paul Klee: Catalogue Raisonné , vol. III, 1919 – 1922 , Thames and Hudson, Bern, 1999, no. 3087, p. 474 (another example)

Kornfeld, E., W., Paul Klee : Verzeichnis des graphischen Werkes von Paul Klee , Bern, 2005, no. 87, pp. 228, 229 (Illus., another example)

Koepnick, G., and Stamm, R., The Bauhaus Postcards , Insel Verlag, Berlin, 2019, pp. 17 (illus.), 77

Related Work

Other examples of this print are held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

ESTIMATE: $8,000 – 12,000

PROVENANCE

Estate of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Melbourne

Private collection, Italy

LITERATURE

Droste, M., Bauhaus 1919 – 1933 , Bauhaus-Archiv Museum für Gestaltung, Berlin, 1990, p. 38 (illus.)

Koepnick, G., and Stamm, R., The Bauhaus Postcards , Insel Verlag, Berlin, 2019, pp. 19 (illus.), 77

OSKAR SCHLEMMER (1888 – 1943, German)

KONZENTRISCHE GRUPPE (FIGURENPLAN K 1), 1921 from the portfolio NEW EUROPEAN GRAPHICS, 1ST

PORTFOLIO: MASTERS OF THE STATE BAUHAUS, WEIMAR lithograph on paper 49.0 x 33.5 cm (sheet) signed and dated lower right: O Schlemmer / 1921 bears inscription upper right: 8

ESTIMATE: $4,000 – 6,000

PROVENANCE

Estate of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Melbourne Private collection, Italy

LITERATURE

Bayer, W., Gropius, W., & Gropius I., Bauhaus 1919 – 1928, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1938, p. 188 (illus., another example)

RELATED WORK

Another example of this print is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

OSKAR SCHLEMMER (1888 – 1943, German)

FIGUR VON DER SEITE: FIGUR H2 SITZENDE , 1921 from the portfolio NEW EUROPEAN GRAPHICS, 1ST

PORTFOLIO: MASTERS OF THE STATE BAUHAUS, WEIMAR lithograph on paper 47.5 x 35.0 cm (sheet) signed and dated lower right: Oskar Schlemmer / 1921

ESTIMATE: $3,000 – 5,000

Provenance

Estate of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Melbourne

Private collection, Italy

Literature

Grohmann, W., Oskar Schlemmer: Drawings and Graphics, Catalogue Raisonné , Verlag Gerd Hatje, Germany, 1965, cat. GL7

Related Work

Another example of this print is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

LUDWIG HIRSCHFELD–MACK (1893 – 1965, German/Australian)

DRACHENFEST WEIMAR, 1922 colour lithograph and watercolour on paper 12.5 x 8.5 cm (image) signed lower right below image: L. Mack dated lower left below image: 1922

ESTIMATE: $2,000 – 4,000

PROVENANCE

The estate of the artist Private collection, Italy

EXHIBITED

Bauhaus e visioni, Museum of Modern Art, Bolzano, Vienna, 17 March – 28 May 2000; Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna, Austria, 14 June – 22 October 2000 and Jewish Museum Frankfurt, Germany, 13 December 2000 – 22 April 2001, cat. 49 (as ‘Untitled (Kite Festival in Weimar)’)

LITERATURE

Stasny, P., Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack: Bauhaus e visioni , Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany, 2000, cat. 49, pp. 60 (illus., as ‘Untitled (Kite Festival in Weimar)’), 61, 173 Koepnick, G., and Stamm, R., The Bauhaus Postcards , Insel Verlag, Berlin, 2019, pp. 24 (illus.), 78

LUDWIG HIRSCHFELD–MACK (1893 – 1965, German/Australian)

DRACHENFEST WEIMAR, 1922 colour lithograph and ink on paper

9.0 x 12.5 cm (image)

10.5 x 15.5 cm (sheet) inscribed with title within image lower left: DRACHENFEST WEIMAR

ESTIMATE: $2,000 – 4,000

PROVENANCE

The estate of the artist Private collection, Italy

EXHIBITED

Bauhaus e visioni, Museum of Modern Art, Bolzano, Vienna, 17 March – 28 May 2000; Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna, Austria, 14 June – 22 October 2000 and Jewish Museum Frankfurt, Germany, 13 December 2000 – 22 April 2001, cat. 50 (as ‘Untitled (Kite Festival in Weimar)’)

Literature

Stasny, P., Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack: Bauhaus e visioni , Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany, 2000, cat. 50, pp. 60, 61 (illus., as ‘Untitled (Kite Festival in Weimar)’), 173 Koepnick, G., and Stamm, R., The Bauhaus Postcards , Insel Verlag, Berlin, 2019, pp. 25 (illus.), 78

Provenance

The estate of the artist

Private collection, Italy

EXHIBITED

LUDWIG HIRSCHFELD–MACK (1893 – 1965, German/Australian)

REACHING THE STARS, 1922 colour lithograph on paper

42.0 x 31.5 cm (image)

68.5 x 50.0 cm (sheet)

ESTIMATE: $4,000 – 6,000

Two masters of the Weimar Bauhaus: Lyonel Feininger, Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 4 July – 19 August 1974, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 29 August – 6 October 1974, cat. 55 (another example)

Bauhaus e visioni, Museum of Modern Art, Bolzano, Vienna, 17 March – 28 May 2000; Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna, Austria, 14 June – 22 October 2000 and Jewish

Museum Frankfurt, Germany, 13 December 2000 – 22 April 2001, cat. 53 (as ‘Sterntänzer (Reaching the Stars)’)

The Mad Square: Modernity in German Art 1910 – 1937, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 5 August – 6 November 2011 and National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 25 November 2011 – 4 March 2012 (another example)

LITERATURE

Stasny, P., Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack: Bauhaus e visioni , Hatje Cantz Verlag, Germany, 2000, cat. 53, pp. 62, 63 (illus., as ‘Sterntänzer (Reaching the Stars)’)

Schwarzbauer, R., and Bell, C., Ludwig Hirschfeld–Mack: More than a Bauhaus Artist , HistorySmiths, 2021, pl. 3, p. 182 (illus. another example)

RELATED WORK

Other examples of this print are held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Lyonel Feininger

(1871 – 1956, German/American)

TAHITI, 1920

PROVENANCE

Estate of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, Melbourne

Private collection, Italy

RELATED WORK

16.0

22.5 signed lower left: Lyonel

ESTIMATE: $2,000 – 3,000

Woodblock for Tahiti , 1920, woodblock, 16.0 x 18.8 cm, in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

Various Artists

TEN AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHS (FOLIO 1), 1935 – 1997, 2001 ten silver gelatin photographs various sizes each housed in an archival mount and contained in a Solander Box edition: 1/10

ESTIMATE: $20,000 – 30,000 (10)

Provenance

Josef Lebovic Gallery, Sydney Company collection, Sydney

A) GREG BARRETT born 1943

VICKI ATTARD, FLASHDANCE, 1995/2001

34.0 x 28.0 cm signed below image: Greg Barrett signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: Greg Barrett/ VICKI ATTARD / FLASHDANCE / 1995 / 2001 / SET 1/10

B) OLIVE COTTON (1911 – 2003)

TEACUP BALLET, 1935/2000

25.5 x 19.5 cm authenticated and signed verso by the artist’s daughter, Sally McInerney / SET 1/10

C) BRETT HILDER born 1946

INDIAN RUG, NEW MEXICO, 1997/2001

20.5 x 15.5 cm signed below image: Brett Hilder dated and inscribed verso: 1997 / Printed 2/2001 / 9.2.4 / SET 1/10

D) JON LEWIS (1950 – 2020) ADAGIO DANCERS, BONDI, 1984/2000

24.5 x 31.0 cm signed and dated verso: Jon Lewis ’84 / “Adagio Dancers – Bondi” / Printed 2000 SET 1/10

E) GRAHAM MCCARTER born 1940 OPAL MINER’S WIFE, 1967/2001

22.0 x 22.0 cm signed below image: Graham McCarter. dated and inscribed verso: ‘OPAL MINERS WIFE’ / MAR 1967 / Printed Jan. 01 / SET 1/10

F) ROBERT MCFARLANE born 1942

BEA NUDE, 1978/2000

21.5 x 14.5 cm signed, dated and inscribed verso: ‘B Nude, Darlinghurst 1978’ Robert McFarlane / Printed 2000 SET 1/10 bears artist’s studio stamp verso

G) DAVID MOORE (1927 – 2003)

SISTERS OF CHARITY, WASHINGTON DC, 1956/2000

35.5 x 23.0 cm signed below image: David Moore signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: Sisters of Charity, Washington DC, USA –1956 / 2000 / David Moore SET 1/10

H) DAVID POTTS (1926 – 2012)

THE RABBIT TRAPPER, DORIGO, 1947/2000

30.5 x 20.0 cm signed, dated, and inscribed with title verso: THE RABBIT TRAPPER / DORRIGO –N.S.W. – 1947 – 2000 / David Potts / SET 1/10 bears artist’s studio stamp verso

I) ROGER SCOTT born 1944

QUEENSCLIFF, SYDNEY, 1975/2000

20.0 x 30.5 cm signed, dated and inscribed with title verso: QUEENSCLIFF SYDNEY 1975 PRINTED 1 –6 – 2000 / R. Scott / SELENIUM TONED / SET 1/10

J) WOLFGANG SIEVERS (1913 – 2007)

GEARS FOR MINING INDUSTRY, 1967/2000

27.0 x 21.0 cm signed and dated verso: Wolfgang Sievers / 1967 / 2000 / SET 1/10

MERVYN BISHOP born 1945

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam Pours Soil Into The Hand Of Traditional Landowner

VINCENT LINGIARI, NORTHERN TERRITORY, 1975/2021 digital inkjet print edition: A/P aside from an edition of 25 60.0 x 60.0 cm (image) signed below image lower right: Mervyn Bishop dated and inscribed with title below image lower right: Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hand of / Traditional Gurindji Land Owner, Vincent Lingiari / Wattie Creek –Northern Territory 1975 / 2021

ESTIMATE: $18,000 – 25,000

Provenance

Josef Lebovic Gallery, Sydney (label attached verso) Company collection, Sydney

Exhibited

Australian Postwar Photodocumentary, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 12 June – 8 August 2004 (another example)

Half Light Portraits from Black Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 November 2008

– 22 February 2009 (another example)

The Photograph and Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 12 March – 8 June 2015; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 4 July – 11 October 2015 (another example)

Literature

Annear, J., The Photograph and Australia , Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2015, pp. 6 (illus. another example), 50, 292

Related Works

Other examples of this photograph are held in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, the National Library of Australia, Canberra and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney