SIGNED E Kirschstein Lithograph: Kaiser Wilhelm Church Berlin Gedächtniskirche

Description: Vintage rare, SIGNED Erhard Kirschstein print of Kaiser Wilhelm Church, akaGedchtniskirche, in Berlin, Germany. Purchased in Berlin in 1971. The lithograph bears the artist's original signature and the name of the church, scripted in pencil beneath the image. Black and white ink on heavy, off-white, art paper. Full sheet is 9 3/4" x 12"; image area is 6 3/4" x 9. There is a corner water damage - approx 1.5" x 1.75" - in the lower left margin (outside the etching area). There is light creasing and edge wear along several edges, but no damage or wear within the etched image area.As a vintage item, the art paper is a bit yellowed. Erhard Kirschstein (1920 - 1973) was a German artist and a prolific creator of lithographs of German street scenes, especially popular with tourists in the 1950s - 70s. The Kaiser Wilhelm Church (Gedchtniskirche)is the symbolic center of west Berlin and one of the city's most popular sights. Its West Tower was partially destroyed during bombing by the Allied Forces in 1943 and the spire was never rebuilt - still weakly rising into the sky as a reminder of the devastation of war and as a memorial for peace between nations. A fascinating and unique aspect of this print - SIGNED BY KIRSCHSTEIN - is that it portrays the church prior to the WWII bombing. Kirschstein was in his 20s when the bombing occurred, so it's possible this lithograph is from an etching created early in his career. (Note that the cars and pedestrians shown are MidCentury and 1940's styles.) This hypothesis is strengthenedby the fact that some of Kirschstein's work was confiscated by the 3rd Reich during the war & later released. I am the original and only owner of this print. I purchased it in Berlin in 1971 from Kirschstein's workshop. The image is not dated, but based on the purchase date, the likely lithography date was 1969-70. Upon purchase, I will provide the buyer w/information i gleaned through an ancestry site about Nazi confiscation of other of Kirshstein's works, though I cannot verify the authenticity of that informat

Price: 112 USD

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

End Time: 2024-10-07T18:13:47.000Z

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