May 21, 2009 - Sale 2181

Sale 2181 - Lot 29

Price Realized: $ 900
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
LUDWIG HOHLWEIN (1874-1949) GLÜCKLICHE / REISE.
35 3/4x23 1/2 inches, 91x59 1/2 cm. Kunst Im Druck, Munich.
Condition B+: repaired tears in margins and image; vertical and horizontal folds.
Hohlwein's style often restricted the amount of text or the name of the company or item being sold, so many of his commissions contained the insertion of the product being advertised with little or no mention of the company itself. In all cases, Hohlwein's mastery of watercolor and his projection of elegance and style transcend the banality of the subject matter. Here, a woman traveler is depicted in motion and about to board a train. A few contrasting colors skillfully arranged, with simple lines and the play of light and shadows, give substance to the figure against the muted background. By juxtaposing a portable record player on top of the on-the-go woman, Hohlwein would have appealed to a modern traveler of the time.