Barlach, Ernst Der Findling. Ein Spiel in 3 Stücken.... Lot n° 149

Barlach, Ernst The Foundling. A play in 3 pieces. With woodcut title, 20 original woodcuts by Ernst Barlach, and extra suite of 20 signed original woodcuts on Japan under mount. Berlin, Paul Cassirer, 1922. folio. Original vellum (E. Ulber, Berlin) with gold-stamped cover vignette and gilt head edge. With woodcut title, 20 original woodcuts by Ernst Barlach and an extra suite with 20 signed original woodcuts on Japan under passepartout. Original vellum (E. Ulber, Berlin) with gold-stamped cover vignette and gilt head edge. One of 80 numbered copies of the special edition on Zandersbütten with a second set of all woodcuts on Japan, all signed, also signed by the artist in the printing note. The foundling is written in rhythmic prose, which in places merges into verse. It is the third drama by Ernst Barlach published by Paul Cassirer. In this writing, Barlach comes to terms with the post-war hardships and political uprisings in the Weimar Republic. He calls this darkest, most brutal, most desperate of his dramas a 'play' - a canibalistic mystery play and gruesome Punch and Judy show. The war, the inferno of refugees, invalids, starving and beggars may have been the triggering 'real moment' for the poetry. The foundling, the crippled, deformed child of a refugee couple, is a spawn of time ... This dark, tangled, impassable play inspired Barlach to perhaps the most beautiful and impressive of his series of woodcuts. This one time, with the foundling, the graphic artist is undoubtedly superior to the poet ... Barlach's much-appointed humor is ignited not by comic, but by tragic events, exposing the monstrous ridiculousness of all human activity by exaggerating the terrible into the grotesque." (G. Sello, Ernst Barlach as an illustrator, in: Philobiblon IV, 3 / 9, 1960 p. 215). With the woodcuts as listed in the german description. - Well preserved and rare. Schult 172-173 and 175-192. Schauer II 116. Feilchenfeldt-Brandis 9.1. Reed 234. Raabe 15,4. - One of 80 numbered copies of the special edition on Zandersbütten with a second set of all woodcuts on Japan, all signed, also signed by the artist in the printing note. The foundling is written in rhythmic prose, which in places merges into verse. It is the third drama by Ernst Barlach published by Paul Cassirer. In this writing, Barlach comes to terms with the post-war hardships and political uprisings in the Weimar Republic. He calls this darkest, most brutal, most desperate of his dramas a 'play' - a canibalistic mystery play and gruesome Punch and Judy show. The war, the inferno of refugees, invalids, starving and beggars may have been the triggering 'real moment' for the poetry. The foundling, the crippled, deformed child of a refugee couple, is a spawn of time ... This dark, tangled, impassable play inspired Barlach to perhaps the most beautiful and impressive of his series of woodcuts. This one time, with the foundling, the graphic artist is undoubtedly superior to the poet ... Barlach's much-appointed humor ignites not in the comic, but precisely in the tragic events, exposing the monstrous ridiculousness of all human activity by exaggerating the terrible into the grotesque." (G. Sello, Ernst Barlach as an illustrator, in: Philobiblon IV, 3 / 9, 1960 p. 215). With the woodcuts "The Load" (Schult 172), "Haderndes Paar" (173), "Der Windschirm" (174), "Steinklopfer und roter Kaiser" (175), "Wanderndes Paar im Regen" (176), "Gruppe aus drei Figuren" (177), "Lahmer und Einbein" (179), "Wandernde Puppenspieler" (180), "Verzweifelter Puppenspieler" (181), "Elise, kniend vor der Mutter" (182), "Group of Several Figures" (183), "The Puppeteer" (184), "A Good Man Must Go and Beg" (185), "The Coat is More Mend than Piece" (186), "Eat, Eat, Father Sorrow" (187), "The Cauldron" (188), "The High Lord" (189), "The Mole" (190), "The Child in Glory" (191), and "Away with the Word of Eating People" (192). - Well preserved and rare.