Alfred Kubin / Edwin Scharff / René Beeh (XX) - Zeit-Echo

Alfred Kubin, Edwin Scharff & René Beeh – 3 Original Lithographs – Zeit-Echo, 1915

Lot of three original lithographs by important artists of the German and Austrian modernism: Alfred Kubin (1877–1959), Edwin Scharff (1887–1955) and René Beeh (1886–1922).

The three works appeared together in 1915 in the expressionist-influenced art and literary magazine “Zeit-Echo,” published by Otto Haas-Heye. They remain in their original publication context and were not separated from the historical sheets.

The three lithographs

1. Alfred Kubin (1877–1959)
“Caesar’s Head”
Original lithograph, 1915.

Alfred Kubin is one of the significant Austrian draughtsmen and graphic artists of the early 20th century. His fantastical, often dark and grotesque visual worlds occupy an autonomous position within expressionist and Symbolist graphic art.

2. Edwin Scharff (1887–1955)
Allegorical depiction
Original lithograph, 1915.

Edwin Scharff was a sculptor, draughtsman, and graphic artist and belongs to the important German artists of classical modernism. The lithograph presented here shows an expressive, highly condensed group of figures.

3. René Beeh (1886–1922)
Soldier on horseback / Rider depiction
Original lithograph, 1915.

René Beeh was a German draughtsman and graphic artist whose comparatively short life left a correspondingly limited oeuvre. The sheet presented here shows a rider or soldier on horseback and bears the inscription “Beeh” in the stone.

Historical publication context

The three lithographs come from “Zeit-Echo,” a art and literary magazine published during the First World War.

The present issue explicitly bears in the retained colophon the designation “Content of Issue 5.”

The publisher was Otto Haas-Heye, Berlin, Pariser Platz 7.
Responsible for the editorial leadership: Friedrich M. Huebner, Munich.
Responsible for the artistic direction: O. Th. W. Stein, Munich.

In addition to the three offered lithographs, the retained publication context includes literary and essay contributions by eminent authors.

Notably, a multi-page contribution dated “Vienna, early December 1914” by Jakob Wassermann is worth highlighting. Other surviving texts include works by Wilhelm von Scholz, Isolde Kurz, and Paul Ernst.

Thus the three graphics are not offered as later assembled individual sheets, but in their contemporary publication and cultural-historical context of 1915.

Condition and provenance character

The sheets are in a condition appropriate for their age. The paper and pages show the aging and wear typical for a print work over 100 years old. Details on paper, margins, any discolorations, small stains, or other signs of use are documented in the high-resolution photographs.

Of particular interest is that the graphics were not separated from the historical publication context. The included photographs of the text pages, the table of contents, and the imprint document this relationship.

The photographs are expressly part of the object description.

Summary

Offered is a cohesive historical lot with:

Alfred Kubin – Original lithograph “Caesar’s Head”
Edwin Scharff – Original lithograph, allegorical depiction
René Beeh – Original lithograph “Soldier on Horseback / Rider”

each from “Zeit-Echo,” 1915, together with the preserved original publication context.

An interesting ensemble for collectors of Alfred Kubin, Edwin Scharff, and René Beeh, expressionist graphic art, German and Austrian modernism, and early 20th-century art and literary journals.

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Private sale note

Private sale from private ownership. The description has been prepared to the best of knowledge and based on the available exemplar and the information it contains. The photographs are an essential part of the description and document especially the condition, execution, and the preserved publication context.

Information on artists, dating, technique, title, and bibliographic classification is provided to the best of knowledge; insofar as these are art-historical or bibliographic attributions, they do not constitute a guarantee or expert appraisal.

The sale is made without liability for material defects to the extent permitted by law. Claims based on intentional or grossly negligent behavior, as well as injuries to life, body, or health, are not affected.