Engravings as an early acid test

Ex libris Louis Dom. Hess 1915

Bridge over the Inn – wood engraving 6 x 7 cm (Innsbruck 1916)

Angels over the Trenches water-coloured wood engraving (Champagne – Christmas 1917)

Ex libris Sebilla von Daskel

Ex libris Ilse Mader - 1918

(dma) - Hess was a skilled engraver and numerous examples of his work show he mastered a variety of techniques (etchings, aquatint, wood engraving, dry point). The technical complexities of engraving a wooden or metal matrix which was then used to print reproductions provided Hess with his first true artistic challenge. In 1913 he was just 17 and yet extensive practice had already honed his engraving technique to a high level.
Among his earliest works is a bookplate designed for his sister Berta. It is in an unusual vertical format and features a stylised male nude staggering as he seeks to hold a towering pile of bound volumes.

Bolzano Piazza Grano (1915) etching 10,5 x 11,5 cm	Via Dr. Streiter a Bolzano, incisione su linoleum colorato, 1915 (Collezione privata)

Also from that same early period is a bookplate for „Louis Dom. Hess“ – one
of the artist‘s first attempts at altering his given name where Alois becomes Louis and Dominikus is shortened to Dom. Other early works include the water-coloured wood engraving „Bolzano: Piazza Grano“ and the black and white wood engraving „Bridge over the Inn“. In the First World War Hess saw service with the „Bayerischen Pionier Kompanie“ (Engineer Corps) on the Western Front in Belgium and Flanders. The conflict did not stop Hess‘ output of engravings. He produced posters for the army and postcards for his comrades in arms like „Angels over the trenches“ reproduced here. (For other works from this period see „Biography – First Steps“).

Ex libris Kühn Monaco - 1922

Ex libris Meyer

 Hess continued his experiments in graphic art with a series of bookplates. His fascination with the craft reflected a rich tradition harking back to 1516 to that supreme German engraver Albrecht Dürer.

With time the design of bookplates had developed far beyond its original purpose of simply identifying the book‘s owner, seeking instead to symbolise the reader‘s personality and the character of the volume itself. Bookplates have long since fallen into disuse but their artistic value has been recognised by collectors.

By far the richest collection is to be found at the British Museum in London which preserves around one hundred thousand examples.

Christian Hess designed personalised bookplates to order for numerous clients but few examples have remained. Here it is possible to reproduce those created for Ilse Mader, the young Sebilla von Daskel, Dr Meyer, Walter Kuhn and Ferdinand Kende. Kende must have been a person of importance: Hess made no fewer than five drafts for his personalised bookplates.



 

	5 sketches for bookplates for Ferdinand Kende
Frauenkirche Engraving cm. 17,5 x 14,5 (Munich 1919) Unfortunately the gradual dispersion of Hess’ works caused by his constant traveling to avoid Nazi persecution has left few examples of his graphic art. Nevertheless in Germany in 2008 a series of etchings was discovered in which Hess recalled scenes from his first visit to Italy in 1925. The etchings, shown here, are now in the Municipal Museum in Bolzano.   Etchings recalling scenes from Hess’ first visit to Italy in 1925 (Municipal Museum Bolzano) In the Tavern - etching 13 x 18 cm on card 26 x 37 cm (Florence 1925)   Mother with child Fisherman with child Sicilian couple on donkeys Woman with jug Sicilian family on a cart   Among some of Hess‘ finest graphic works are the dry point portrait of his wife Cecile which was produced in Lucerne in the final months of 1934 and the beginning of 1935. The background shows several of Hess‘ works including a large wooden statue of Christ. Equally excellent are the painting „Steamer at Lucerne“ and a terracotta mask. The portrait, which was produced in just a single copy, and the other works shown here are all believed lost. The statue of Christ is part of a private collection in Rome.   Mother with Children - engraving (Messina 1927) Archive photo Hess‘ wife Cecile - dry point 36 x 27 cm Only one copy produced - plate destroyed (Lucerne 1935)     >>>