Ernst Moritz Geyger (1861–1941)
“Die Klugheit Beleuchtet die Gemeinheit” (aka “Wisdom Enlightens Meanness”; “The Cleverness Illuminates the Meanness”; “Wisdom Lights the Community”; “Wisdom Relieves Vulgarity”), 1899, from the series/portfolio, “Das Mappenwerk der Inse” (The Island Portfolio), published in Leipzig in 1900. This may be a proof-state impression before the edition of 100 impressions, as it does not feature the publisher’s drystamp of Die Insel depicting a sailing ship within a circle.
Drypoint with pale plate tone on grey wove imitation parchment paper.
Size: (sheet) 35.3 x 27.9 cm; (plate) 30.4 x 22.5 cm; (image borderline) 29.7 x 21.7 cm.
Inscribed on plate: (upper left) “DIE/ KLUGHEIT/ BELEUCHTET DIE/ GEMEINHEIT”; (lower left in reversed letters) “E.M.G. 99”.
The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:
(transl.) “An owl with a mirror in its claw is enthroned on a monster with the head of a boar”
See also the description of this print offered by the Winckelmann-Museum Stendal:
(transl.) “A mixture of warthog and various big cats lies on a plinth and stares annoyingly past the viewer on the right. An owl sits on the being, holding a [mirror] with the left foot, which it directs towards the being”
(https://nat.museum-digital.de/singleimage.php?imagenr=75737 [click on the information (“i”) button when the window opens]).
Condition: a faultless impression in pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use).
I am selling this masterwork of German printmaking executed at the close of the 19th century illustrating in an allegory how reflective wisdom may enlighten primal instinct—symbolised by an owl holding a mirror towards a primordial beast formed with the head of a warthog, the legs and tail of a wild cat and the teats of some udder animal—for the total cost of AU$480 (currently US$305.01/EUR280.94/GBP244.80 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).
If you are interested in purchasing this remarkable drypoint—an image epitomising the age of psychoanalysis—in a faultless and rare impression, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.
This print has been sold
