Fritz Eichenberg (1901 - 1990) Gallery I
Fritz Eichenberg was born in Cologne, Germany. He worked as a printer's apprentice and studied at both the Municipal School of Applied Arts in Cologne and the Academy of Graphic Arts in Leipzig. He began his career as a graphic artist and illustrator in 1923, working for various publications and as freelance illustrator. In 1933, anxious about the rise of National Socialism, he emigrated with his wife and child to New York. Eichenberg worked for the WPA's Federal Arts Project from his arrival to the end of the decade. He taught art at the New School for Social Research and at Pratt Institute, where he established and headed the Graphic Arts Department, and opened the Pratt Graphic Arts Center in Manhattan. He later served as the head of the art department at University of Rhode Island, and laid out the printmaking studios there. Eichenberg was a prolific book illustrator, and published numerous portfolios on various themes. He died at Peace Dale, Rhode Island in 1990.
In Praise Of Folly
This portfolio of ten wood engravings by Fritz Eichenberg, based on Desiderius Erasmus' famous Humanist tract, was published by the Aquarius Press of New York and Baltimore in 1972 in two editions. The principal edition consisted of 150 sets of the engravings, in a custom clamshell box.
This copy is one of ten Collaborator's sets, each of which includes one of the cancelled blocks created by Eichenberg for the project. The block, housed in a well in the portfolio, was engraved for plate 5, "The Follies of Teaching"; the ten engravings are numbered V/X
Almost all of the Collaborator's portfolios are in institutional collections. This edition is rarely available for sale.
$4,500
A number of individual engravings from In Praise Of Folly are also available below.
Dame Folly Speaks
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of Old Age
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of Princely Power
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of Teaching
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of The Court
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of The Monks
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of The Popes
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Follies Of War
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$600
The Follies Of Worshipping Idols
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Human Comedy
Wood Engraving from In Praise Of Folly, edition of 150 + X, 1972. Image size 11-7/8" x 18"; sheet size 13-7/8" x 19-7/8". Signed by Eichenberg at the lower right-hand corner. A fine impression printed by James Lanier on hand made Japanese mulberry paper.
$500
The Dream Of Reason
Wood engraving, edition of 500. Image size 7" x 9"; sheet size 8¼" x 11". Printed by Harold McGrath on 80 lb. Mohawk Superfine cover. Fine overall condition.
$550
Illustration for Till Eulenspiegel
Wood engraving, artist's proof ca. 1924. Image size 3½" x 2½"; sheet size 4-3/8" x 3". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg in pencil lower right hand corner. Illustration for page 19 of Till Eulenspiegel, published by Lothar Joachim Verlag, Leipzig in 1925. This is Eichenberg's second book illustration commission, preceded only by Lemuel Gullivers Reisen (Gulliver's Travels). In The Wood And The Graver, Eichenberg erroneously dates Till Eulenspiegel to 1922. Very good condition.
$325
Illustration For Till Eulenspiegel
Wood engraving, artist's proof ca. 1924. Image size 3½" x 2½"; sheet size 4-3/8" x 3". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg in pencil lower right hand corner. Illustration for page 27 of Till Eulenspiegel, published by Lothar Joachim Verlag, Leipzig in 1925. This is Eichenberg's second book illustration commission, preceded only by Lemuel Gullivers Reisen (Gulliver's Travels). In The Wood And The Graver, Eichenberg erroneously dates Till Eulenspiegel to 1922. Very good condition.
$325
Illustration for Till Eulenspiegel
Wood engraving, artist's proof ca. 1924. Image size 3½" x 2½"; sheet size 4-3/8" x 3". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg in pencil lower right hand corner. Illustration for page 134 of Till Eulenspiegel, published by Lothar Joachim Verlag, Leipzig in 1925. This is Eichenberg's second book illustration commission, preceded only by Lemuel Gullivers Reisen (Gulliver's Travels). In The Wood And The Graver, Eichenberg erroneously dates Till Eulenspiegel to 1922. Very good condition.
$325
Illustration For Till Eulenspiegel
Wood engraving, artist's proof ca. 1924. Image size 3½" x 2½"; sheet size 4-3/8" x 3". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg in pencil lower right hand corner. Illustration for page 183 of Till Eulenspiegel, published by Lothar Joachim Verlag, Leipzig in 1925. This is Eichenberg's second book illustration commission, preceded only by Lemuel Gullivers Reisen (Gulliver's Travels). In The Wood And The Graver, Eichenberg erroneously dates Till Eulenspiegel to 1922. Very good condition.
$325
Illustration For Till Eulenspiegel
Wood engraving, artist's proof ca. 1924. Image size 3½" x 2½"; sheet size 4-3/8" x 3". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg in pencil lower right hand corner. Illustration for page 201 of Till Eulenspiegel, published by Lothar Joachim Verlag, Leipzig in 1925. This is Eichenberg's second book illustration commission, preceded only by Lemuel Gullivers Reisen (Gulliver's Travels). In The Wood And The Graver, Eichenberg erroneously dates Till Eulenspiegel to 1922. Good condition.
SOLD
Heathcliff Under The Tree
Wood engraving, 1943, edition of 100. Image size 7" x 10¼"; sheet size 10" x 13". Signed by Fritz Eichenberg lower right hand corner. This image was used to illustrate the cover of the Random House edition of Wuthering Heights, published in 1943. It is one of Eichenberg's most famous and sought-after prints. Fine condition.
SOLD
The Peaceable Tree
Wood engraving 1978, edition of 150. Image size 6-3/4" x 9"; sheet size 8¼" x 11". Signed in the block; titled and signed in pencil by Fritz Eichenberg in lower margin. Fine overall condition.
$625
Wood Engravings for Tales of Edgar Allan Poe
Published by Random House in 1944, Tales of Edgar Allan Poe included wood engravings created by Fritz Eichenberg for each of the twenty-seven stories, together with an intricate vignette for each of the six sections into which the stories were grouped.
Eichenberg is known to have printed between four and ten proofs for each of the engravings he made for Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe. The sole exception is the engraving for "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfall,” printed in an edition of fifty proofs. As a distinct body of work these engravings show this 20th century master at the height of his interpretive and artistic powers.
The proofs are in near-fine or fine overall condition unless otherwise noted and are offered complete. The portfolio includes two proofs for the engraving for “Scheherazade:” one of them in black, and the other in sanguine, a total of thirty-four in all.
All but seven of the images are pictured below. The missing ones were custom framed some years ago, and will be removed from their comfortable homes when and if I find a happy buyer for the lot or, more likely, the happy buyer finds me. The titles not shown are “MS Found in a Bottle;” “Mellonta Tauta;” “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether;” “William Wilson;” “The Cask of Amontillado;” “Hop-Frog;” and “The Black Cat.”
$14,000
Illustration for The Gold Bug
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-5/8” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Murders In The Rue Morgue
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 7-3/8" x 10¼”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Mystery Of Marie Roget
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Purloined Letter
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Vignette for Part II of Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-3/8” x 3-7/8”; sheet size 7-3/8” x 10-3/4”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfall
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Edition of fifty proofs. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for A Descent Into The Maelström
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Thousand-And-Second Tale Of Scheherazade
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Vignette for Part III of Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 5-1/8”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Assignation
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 5½” x 7¼”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for Ligeia
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for Fall Of The House Of Usher
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 7-3/8” x 10-3/4”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Masque Of The Red Death
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 7-3/8” x 10-3/4”. Fine overall condition.
Vignette for Part IV of Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 4-1/8”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for Devil In The Belfry
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 5-1/8”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for X-ing A Paragrab
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 5-1/8”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Sphinx
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 5½” x 7¼”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Imp Of The Perverse
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 5-1/8”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Vignette for Part V of Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 4-3/4”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Man Of The Crowd
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9” x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for Berenice
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 9" x 12”. Fine overall condition.
Vignette for Part VI of Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3½” x 3-3/4”; sheet size 5½” x 8-3/8”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Tell-Tale Heart
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 7-3/8” x 10-3/4”. Fine overall condition.
Illustration for The Pit And The Pendulum
Wood engraving, artist's proof. Image size 3-9/16” x 5½”; sheet size 7-3/8” x 10-3/4”. Fine overall condition.