Studio: international art (15.1899)

Modem Lithography in Germany

that he is not as yet intimately enough acquainted stones to produce a tinted study of trees or land-
with the chemical and printing processes of litho- scape, though these are hardly what one would call
graphic printing to be able to do just what he a colour-lithograph. Baum's splendid, and if I
intends. Bitter, likewise, has lithographed some am informed correctly, single attempt approaches
few pleasing, simple landscape studies, which do this more closely. It represents a few red-roofed
not aspire to be considered extraordinary perform- houses of a Belgian village in an open stretch of
ances in this art. country during winter time, the ground being

Karl Mediz has chiefly lithographed portraits, covered with snow. Drawn with all the suggestive-
They are most conscientiously done. He has quite ness of a Raffaelli study, it possesses also that
a remarkable eye for detail and most extraordinary piquancy of colour which distinguishes the wonderful
patience in reproducing it. The first thing that pastels and water-colours of Raffaelli. That Miiller-
strikes us when we see Mediz' drawings is that Breslau has not devoted more time to lithography
they present the finish of a photogravure. We is very regrettable. For the Secession Quarterly
want something more personal than that nowa- he did the first cover design—a Caritas, and a
days, and we want, above all, to receive the im- lithograph of an olive-grove with four draped,
pression that a man formed the work of art before antique, female figures. This is an excellent, im-
us, and that it is more than a true and careful pressive picture, full of feeling and style,
copy of nature. His best portrait, the one that When the Dresden Secessionists decided to pub-
displays most character, is undoubtedly that of his lish a Quarterly, it became apparent very soon that
wife. Mrs. Mediz-Pelikan has lithographed also, most of the contributions would be lithographs. So
Her portraits are-subject to the same criticism as Liihrig, who was then a member, tried to persuade
those of her husband. Her landscapes are more the club to set up its own press. Unfortunately he
interesting. She has occasionally employed several did not prevail with them, but he did for himself

what the club would not
do, and has become one
of the most interesting
of the artists that have
attempted lithography
here.

Not an unamiable man
personally, Liihrig has
become a most uncom-
promising and dogmatic
artist. His youth was
one of great hardship,
and when he had suc-
ceeded in gaining the
reputation of being the
most promising and
serious among the
students of his class at
the Munich academy, he
had to give up his studies
owing to lack of funds.
He had then to spend
years at a photographer's
shop in an out-of-the-way
town, at a time when he
felt conscious that he had
the making of an artist
within him, if fate only
were propitious and would
allow him to make the

"night'' from a lithograph by otto fischer test. Pleasant experi-

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