H.N. Werkman (1882-1945) - Chassidische Legenden

This is a limited edition folder containing all 20 prints of the first suite "Chassidische Legenden" and all 20 prints of the second suite "Chassidische Legenden" made by Hendrik Nicholaas Werkman in the 1940s. This edition was published in 1985 by the Gronings Museum and is based on the original prints owned by the Groninger Museum. Each of the prints bears a signature on the lower right and a marking and numbering on the lower left. The title and the number are printed on the back. Each print measures 50 x 32.5 cm.

The Chassidische Legenden

Early 1941, Hendrik Werkman read "Die Legenden des Baalschem" by the German writer Martin Buber, a collection of stories about the 18th-century Polish-Jewish teacher Yisroel ben Elieser, nicknamed the Baal Shem Tov. In a short time, using stencils, printing ink, and other materials, Werkman produced about twenty compositions inspired by these stories. In 1942 and 1943, Werkman printed editions of these prints, divided into two series of ten which he called suites. They appeared with the clandestine publisher De Blauwe Schuit, for which Werkman produced more than 40 publications in total between 1941 and 1944.

Werkman was arrested in the spring of 1945 by the Sicherheitsdienst, and on 10 April 1945 he was executed at Bakkeveen along with nine others.

Further information about these suites can be found in "H.N. Werkman, Het complete oeuvre" published by NAI uitgevers.