Lenz
1925
Medium
bound volume with 12 illustrations containing etching, drypoint, spitbite, and plate tone on laid Van Gelder-Bûtten paper
Dimensions
book: 47.2 × 33.3 × 1.7 cm (18 9/16 × 13 1/8 × 11/16 in.)
Classification
Volume
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.261.8
Art Historical Context
**Lenz** (1925) by Walteratté is a captivating bound volume featuring 12 illustrations that bring to life Georg Büchner's novella about the tormented poet Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz. Created during the Weimar era, this work reflects Gramatté's Expressionist roots, where distorted forms and emotional intensity convey inner turmoil—a hallmark of his brief but intense career before his early death in 1929. As a German-Canadian artist influenced by Edvard Munch and the turbulent spirit of German modernism, Gramatté infused these prints with psychological depth, making **Lenz** a poignant visual m...
About the Artist
Walter Gramatté
Walter Gramatté, born Walter Eduard Gramatté on January 8, 1897, in Berlin-Wedding to building manager Otto Gramatté and his wife Katharina, emerged as a poignant voice in German Expressionism despite a tragically brief career. The son of modest parents—described variably as a baker in some accounts—Gramatté volunteered for World War I in 1914 but was largely spared frontline duty due to chronic p...