ESTES, Oscar. Untitled drawing of Fritz Lang. 1920s.

Original pen and ink drawing on paper of film director Fritz Lang, signed by Estes at lower right. Visible area 12 1/2 x 10 in. Matted and framed (not examined out of frame, overall dimensions 15 x 12 in.). Provenance: Forrest J. Ackerman (1916-2008), American editor, magazine publisher, and science fiction author; acquired by the present owner directly from Ackerman.

Dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute, Fritz Lang began his directorial career at the German film studio UFA shortly after the end of the First World War. His films Metropolis and M are considered classics of the Expressionist film genre. Lang fled Germany shortly after the Nazis came to power and began his career anew in Hollywood, where he directed a number of successful films such as Fury, Cloak and Dagger, and While the City Sleeps.