Abstract Etching I by Medard Klein
This is an abstract etching obtained from the estate of Medard Klein. It is not signed or titled, so could represent a trial proof for an edition that was never published. It is very consistent with his graphic work. He was known for his non-objective abstract works throughout his career. His images usually combine geometric shapes with biomorphic forms that convey a sense of motion and action. He employs very intricate designs in his etching to give different areas of the image a different texture and feel. The image is in good condition. It was printed close to the margin of the paper and was not precisely centered, consistent with a trial proof. There are some ink smudges in the margins. An excellent example of his work.
Medard Klein (1905 – 2002) Medard Klein is a well-known abstract expressionist painter and printmaker. He was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. He studied at three different institutions, two of which are in Chicago, the Art Institute, the Chicago Studio School of Art. He also spent time at the National Academy of Art. He came to prominence with his abstract paintings in the 1930s and 40s, but his career lasted well into the second half of the 20th century. He had a long association with the Museum of Non-Objective Painting (aka Guggenheim) in New York City. He drew inspiration from classical music, although in contrast to other abstract artists (such as Hildegard Hass also held in our inventory) he did not include this overtly in the titles to his work. His work encompassed almost all artistic media. While probably best known for his painting, he was an accomplished printmaker and even developed a novel printing technique called the Lumiprint, although details of the technique appear to be lost. He was a member of a printmaking group called VANGUARD that explored novel printmaking techniques and included luminaries Werner Drewes, Stanley William Hayter, and Kurt L. Seligmann among others. In 1945 and 1946 VANGUARD held exhibits at the Philadelphia Print Club, and the Brooklyn Museum. From the online record of the exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, the catalogue notes, Concerned with contemporary hand processes in all print media, the members of VANGUARD work in woodcut, wood-engraving, copper engraving, etching, lithography, serigraphy and lumiprinting. In addition to the Guggenheim, his work is held in many other major collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Art, the National Academy of Design, and the Library of Congress.
Price: $500
Size: 10 x 13 inches
Plate Size: 7.375 x 11.75 inches
Condition: Good
Medium: Etching
Subject: Abstract
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