Ships and Sun, 1 (Schiffe und Sonne, 1)
1918
Medium
woodcut in black on yellow laid paper
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1968.24.7
Art Historical Context
Lyonel Feininger’s 1918 woodcut *Ships and Sun, 1* captures a moment of quiet drama at sea through bold, simplified forms. Created at the close of World War I, the print reflects the artist’s interest in maritime subjects and the interplay of light and structure. Feininger, who had settled in Germany after studying in Paris and Berlin, was then exploring the expressive potential of printmaking while moving toward the geometric clarity that would later define his Bauhaus work. Printed in black ink on yellow laid paper, the woodcut technique allows sharp contrasts and rhythmic lines to evoke bo...
About the Artist
Lyonel Feininger
Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956) was born in New York City to German-American parents who were accomplished musicians. At sixteen he was sent to Hamburg to pursue musical training, but upon arriving in Germany he turned instead to visual art, enrolling in the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule in Hamburg and subsequently at the Königliche Akademie der Künste in Berlin, where he studied painting. He subsequently...