Charcoal and chalk on yellowish paper
Germany, circa 1900
Heinrich Zille (1858-1929) – Significant Berlin-based illustrator and graphic artist
Verso with the red estate stamp ‘Heinrich Zille.’ (Lugt L.2676b)
Another study on the reverse
With the label of the gallery Siegfried Brumme, Frankfurt/Main on the backing board
Sheet size: approx. 19.4 x 11.3 cm
Heinrich Zille is considered an important illustrator of Berlin’s popular life; comparable drawings fetch up to €3,600 on the auction market

This sketch by Heinrich Zille depicts a portrait of a man wearing a bowler hat, his mouth highlighted with red-brown chalk, and further detailed studies of the hand, sleeve and coat. On the back there is another study of the same subject matter. Sketched with swift, confident strokes, these motifs testify to Zille's talent to capture lively scenes from the Berlin ‘Milljöh’ with just a few quick lines.



The verso bears the red estate stamp ‘Heinrich Zille.’. The sheet is altogether browned and partially minimally creased. The top left corner is trimmed diagonally. Along the upper margin the sheet is permanently glued to a second sheet, the latter is professionally mounted under a mat. The frame shows some wear. The framed work measures 34.5 x 25 cm. The sheet measures approx. 19.4 x 11.3 cm.



Heinrich Zille (1858-1929)

Heinrich Zille came from an impoverished family, often plagued by creditors, and the young Heinrich was forced to earn money with small errands at an early age. He also earned the money for his first drawing lessons himself and served his apprenticeship under a lithographer after leaving school; at the same time he studied under Professor Theodor Hosemann, who advised him to go to the streets, to observe and to draw. After completing his studies Zille was employed by different graphic firms before working for the Photographische Gesellschaft Berlin (Photographic Association Berlin) from 1877 onwards for thirty consecutive years. After his discharge from the military, he began to work as a freelance painter while still working for the Photographische Gesellschaft and developed his characteristic style: his works are characterised by scenes from the Berlin “Milljöh”, from the backstreets and the world of the proletarian underclass, to which he often added typical Berlin witticisms. In 1903 Zille became a member of the Berlin Secession. He was a close friend of Max Liebermann and became more and more known and popular, resulting in his appointment as Professor at the Prussian Academy of the Arts in 1924. After his death in 1929, Zille was buried in an Ehrengrab (grave of honour). A museum in Berlin is dedicated to the exceptional artist, countless streets and schools are named after him. The art museum of Mühlheim/ Ruhr owns the largest collection of Zille drawings outside of Berlin. (tfa)

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