Art

Edition of 500. One of 30 prints from the Eine Nachlese portfolio. "Die Freundennen" was one of 16 original paintings by Klimt which were destroyed on 8 May 1945. The paintings were in storage in the Schloss Immendorf, a 16th-century castle in Lower Austria, which was set on fire by a retreating tank division of the German army. Max Eisler (1881-1937), the publisher of this print, was an art historian at Vienna University who published the first Klimt monograph in 1914. He intended Eine Nachlese to complement Das Werk, the only folio set produced in Klimt's lifetime, overseen by Klimt up to 1913. Fragile hand-printed collotype plates can not be reused, so the run must be completed on the first go and in only a limited number. The complicated, lengthy process involves gelatin colloids mixed with dichromates. Thin 16-colour separation glass filters achieve the light-sensitive internegative images, which capture the original tonal gradations. These are exposed to actinic light. Finally, the delicate chine colle paper allows for greater colour saturation. Collotype in colours on chine colle paper laid down on heavy cream wove paper with untrimmed deckled edges. Image size: 29.5 x 30 cm. Sheet size: 48 x 45.5 cm. Framed size: 59 x 56.3 cm. Excellent condition. Presented in a handmade gold leaf frame with conservation acrylic glazing.