Christian Schad (1894-1982) - Schöpfung

Christian Schad (1894-1982), Creation, 1955.

Woodcut on solid Velin, 24.5 x 20.5 cm on 58.5 x 41.5 cm, titled, numbered (e.a.), signed and dated.

Literature: Richter 10

Provenance: Private collection Berlin, from the estate of Christian Schad's widow.

Condition: Very good condition. Photos are part of the condition description.

The woodcut “Tabarin” by Christian Schad was created in 1917 during his early period shaped by Expressionism and Dada. The title refers to Tabarin, the legendary French street performer and buffoon of the 17th century, who stands as a symbol for theater, masquerade, and social outsider status. With its striking black-and-white contrasts and the expressive formal language, Schad condenses this figure into an allegory of staging, identity, and breaking with bourgeois conventions. The rare woodcut thus foreshadows central themes that the artist would later continue to explore in his work of the New Objectivity.

Biography
He was a German painter and graphic artist, known as a major representative of the Neue Sachlichkeit. He studied in Munich, lived in Switzerland and Paris before settling in Berlin. His works are characterized by a precise, almost photorealistic painting style, through which he critically portrayed the society of the 1920s. He also became famous for his experimental “Schadographies” – early forms of the photogram technique. Schad's art continues to influence modern portrait painting to this day.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christian Schad again turned to printmaking, especially linocuts. During this period he stayed several times in Italy, including Venice, where he drew inspiration from classical art and architecture. His linocuts from this phase often feature mythological and religious motifs and reflect an intensive engagement with traditional printmaking techniques. These works mark a late but significant expansion of his artistic oeuvre.