Lesser Ury (1861-1931) - Dame im Kaffee II

Lesser Ury (1861–1931), Lady in the Café II, circa 1920.

Lithograph on thin Velin, 23.8 × 18.4 cm on 32.5 × 21 cm, signed. From an edition of 30. Mounted at two points in a mat 45 × 33.5 cm.

Literature: Rosenbach 67

Provenance: Private collection, Berlin.

Condition: Signs of age and mounting, edge defects. Toned at the edges, slightly stained. Age-appropriate condition. Illustrations are part of the condition description.

Biography
Lesser Ury (1861–1931) was a German painter and graphic artist and counts among the leading representatives of German Impressionism and the Berlin Secession. Born in Birnbaum in the then Province of Posen, Ury studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and continued his artistic training in Brussels and Paris before settling permanently in Berlin in 1887. In 1921 he was named an honorary member of the Berlin Secession.

He became famous for his atmospheric Berlin street scenes, nocturnal views of the metropolis, and coffee-house pictures. Rain, artificial light, reflections on wet pavement, and the pulsating life of the modern metropolis constitute central motifs of his painting and pastel works. With his virtuoso handling of light and color, Ury developed a distinctive visual language and became one of the most striking artistic chroniclers of Berlin around 1900. Beyond his cityscapes, his oeuvre includes landscapes, still lifes, as well as religious and biblical representations.