Horst Janssen - Porträts

Rembrandt (24.5 x 21.5 cm, in plate signed)
Friedrich Nietzsche (27.5 x 18.5 cm, in plate dated)
Madleen Smith (24 x 18 cm, hand-signed, dedicated)
Anton Tscheschov (28 x 20.5 cm, in plate signed, dated)
Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban (28.5 x 22 cm, in plate signed, dated, dedicated)

Rembrandt
The motif shows Janssen’s intense, almost expressionistic engagement with Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn) – a typical blend of portrait, homage, and artistic deconstruction. Janssen’s characteristic line work and the layered structures give the sheet exceptional depth and presence.
The motif appears in Janssen’s own compiled book ‘Hundred Heads’. It is listed there as number 79. The original is dated 11.4.1982 and was created using pencil and pastels.
The complexity and the unique handwriting are convincingly reflected in the offered image.
The book ‘Hundred Heads’ itself is not for sale here and is not included in the offering.
The first name ‘Horst’ appears as a print in the plate and at the same time confirms authorship. The dimensions are 24.5 x 21.5 cm.

Friedrich Nietzsche (Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
very well preserved
dated in the plate with 9.3.83
Sheet size approx. 27.5 x 18.5 cm

The quotation "... To avert one's eyes is my only negation!" comes from Nietzsche’s work The Gay Science, Aphorism #276 (see also the photo of the complete text, at the end of which this passage is integrated into the artwork). The text The Gay Science itself is not part of the offering. Also the portrait shown here from the book 'Hundred Heads' compiled by Janssen serves only as illustration and is not part of the offering.
Particularly the Nietzsche portrait print ranks among Janssen’s more expressive, watercolor-like works from the early 1980s and combines image and text in a way typical for him. The fine-line, more classical depiction of Chekhov provides a compact insight into Janssen’s drawing spectrum.

Madleen Smith
• Title & Person: The image shows Lidia “Løska” Smith-Hald – in the graphic itself called ‘Madame Smith-Hald’. She was a close friend of Janssen, as well as a muse and gallery owner. She was also the daughter of the Norwegian artist Bjørn Smith-Hald, whom Janssen highly esteemed. The name ‘F. Løska’ or ‘FiLøska’ woven into the lower left of the graphic also references the depicted female portrait. This also reinforces a close connection to the place Svanshall, which played an important role in Janssen’s life.
Janssen remains ambiguous and playful here as well. The ‘F’ can mean ‘for’ or the ‘Fi’ for ‘philo’, i.e., love, friendship.
• Date: The original engraving was created on November 14, 1976 (dated in the plate as "14.11.76"). The present graphic (offset) was very likely produced soon after. This is also indicated by the dated dedication of 17.12.76.
• Execution: There are several versions, including black-gray etchings and color offset prints, some hand-signed or numbered. Here we are dealing with a high-quality offset print that, along with the handwritten pencil signature and a personally added dedication in pencil, becomes an authentic work.
• Dedication: The handwritten dedication is dated 17.12.76. Janssen’s handwriting poses puzzles for collectors and connoisseurs: in this case the dedication can be read as either ‘Gertrud’ (in reference to the St. Gertrude Verlag) or ‘Gerhard’. The latter would indicate a personal dedication to Janssen’s close friend and publisher Gerhard Schack, which nonetheless underscores the high-class provenance from the inner circle of artists.
• Condition and dimensions: The image measures 24 x 18 cm and is in near-mint condition. It originates from Janssen’s direct printer environment.
• Additional text: The text ‘Kopien Inbok’, set upright on the lower right edge, invites speculation. It is likely that Janssen hints that he was editing a previous version from his sketchbook.
So we are dealing with a double dedication: to the depicted person within the image and, handwritten, to another person personally, which again foregrounds Janssen’s close circle.

Anton Tchechov (The Cherry Orchard)
very well preserved
in the plate signed and dated with 13.4.81
Sheet size approx. 28 x 20.5 cm

Portraits of poets are a central category in Horst Janssen’s oeuvre. They complement artistically the Latzon series of poet portraits as well as other portrait works.

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban
The sheet shows Janssen’s characteristic combination of finely drawn portrait and sketchy line work. The signature, dedication, and dating contained in the motif are part of the printing plate (plate-signed, plate-dedicated, and plate-dated) and were printed with it.
Le Prestre was a French military engineer and impressed Janssen with his architectural designs.
Details
• Artist: Horst Janssen (1929–1995)
• Title: Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban
• Technique: Color lithograph on paper
• In the plate signed, dedicated and dated
• Sheet size: 28.5 × 22 cm
• Unframed
Condition
Good overall condition with minor age- and storage-related wear.

These are original offset prints from the printer’s environment. It was common for Horst Janssen to be personally present during the printing process. The photos are each part of the description and show the actual condition of the offered works.