Pencil on paper, mounted on fine cardboard
Berlin, Germany, around 1910
Heinrich Zille (1858-1929) – German graphic artist and illustrator
Red estate stamp (Lugt 2676b) ‘Heinrich Zille.’
Sheet size: 18 x 27 cm
With a certificate of authenticity by Galerie Rudolf, Sylt, dated 18/05/1996
Good condition
Quick sketches of three men’s heads as typical examples of Zille’s ‘Milljöh’ studies; comparable works have already fetched up to €3.600 at international auctions

The present pencil studies are typical examples of the artistic output from the German draftsman Heinrich Zille. The works reveal the portraits of three men, whom the artist could have discovered, when wandering around the streets of the Berlin ‘Milljöh’. Like many of his sketches the present works were executed on sheets of newspaper and other simple papers, since the artist had a special zest for documenting spontaneous ideas and fleeting moments. The drawings are presented in a decorative Biedermeier frame.



The drawings are laid down on a sheet of paper and are matted. The red estate stamp ‘Heinrich Zille.’ leads across the lower edge of the left and central work. All three works are in good condition considering the age. The sheets appears slightly browned. The paper of the right drawing is a bit stained. The central portrait measures c. 9 x 6.5 cm. The dimensions of the cardboard are 18 x 27 cm, the frame measure 34.5 x 43.5 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 developing his own characteristic style: his works are characterized 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, which resulted 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, whereas countless streets and schools are named after him. The art museum of Mühlheim/Ruhr owns the largest collection of Zille drawings beyond Berlin. (cbo)

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