Illustration from 16 Woodcuts (16 Holzschnitte)
Walter Helbig's woodcuts present idyllic views of nature, village life, bathers, and religious scenes far removed from the bustling Berlin metropolis, where many of the prints were made. Around 1910, Helbig had encountered the art of the Brücke artists through his friendship with Otto Mueller, who had begun exhibiting with them. These prints, made between 1911 and 1925, show the decisive impact of the Brücke on Helbig's style, as seen in the stark contrasts of black and white, the simplified compositions, and the angular forms.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Helbig had developed close ties to modern artists working in Switzerland. In 1924, he moved to the country, settling in Ascona, a picturesque villag...
1920, published 1926
Woodcut from a portfolio with sixteen woodcuts, one woodcut title page, one woodcut table of contents, one woodcut cover and one woodcut colophon
14.8 x 9.8cm
428.1961.11
Image © Museo cantonale d'arte, Lugano, Switzerland, 2019
Text © MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2019
Text © MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2019
Where you'll find this
Permanent collection