Einstein, Albert. (1879 - 1955)
Portrait of Albert Einstein, signed the artist and subject
Engraved bust portrait, ca.1918, 5.51 by 7.87 inches. A trial proof before the unnumbered edition, Struck’s engraved signature as a Star of David, hand signed in pencil at left below the plate and identified right "Probdruck V 5/11" at right by the artist; signed and dated 1923 by Einstein in pencil lower right above limitation. Top edge of sheet lightly mounted to mat backing. Plate approximate measurement: 207mm x 147mm. Overall sheet: 314mm x 195mm. Very fine. Provenance: The Winfield Robbins print collection of Arlington, Massachusetts.The artist Hermann Struck was a German Jewish artist known for his etchings and his students included Marc Chagall, Lovis Corinth, Jacob Steinhardt, Lesser Ury and Max Liebermann. In 1908, Struck published "Die Kunst des Radierens" ("The Art of Etching"), which became a seminal work on the subject. Struck did commissioned portraits of Ibsen, Nietzsche, Freud, Herzl, Oscar Wilde among others, and the present portrait of Einstein is especially notable for being much earlier than most signed images of the influential scientist. Einstein signed in ink the printings of this portrait which were sent to him by the artist, though was frankly uncertain about how he had been portrayed, writing to Struck (Vol. 9, 342a), "there is something alien, stiff in them. Perhaps I find that only because of a lack of self-knowledge, perhaps the obligation to sit immobile produced the rigid expression - I don't know." The present proof was signed somewhat later. (23302)
Signed Photograph Science & Technology