This week German ebay provides you with an opportunity to see one or two colour woodcuts you will not see very often as well as one or two nice-looking prints by more well-known artists. Above all, there is Helene Mass' rich and subtle Gehoeft im Schnee, with remarkably bright fresh colours. It just shows what a difference a good photograph also makes. This print re-affirms my faith in Mass, which I confess sometimes wavers. This is Mass at her most thrilling, convincing and successful
Not as good perhaps but even more expensive is another rarity by Helen Tupke Grande. No matter. You won't even pick much up on a Google search except her wonderful print of Venetian boats.
Speaking of which there is an unusually bright image of Carl Thiemann's Venezianischen Fischerbooten. I know it's fairly standard stuff fro him, but it does come with copious notes by the master himself. With all the glassy reflections, this reminds me of the famous Abend and I think when you see this close-up and personal, those daubed reflections will look impressive.
More low-key, but no less interesting for all that, is a muted colour woodcut by the Polish artist, Stefan Flipkiewicz, who is new to me. It's unusually early, dating from 1908, a time when artists were still often working with few colours. You can see where Mass had her roots and what she would have done with an image like this.
Finally, this intense and lyrical image by Zdrasila Adolf, yet another name that is new to me, and an unusual woodcut whose bright colours look almost contemporary. I would like to see a larger, better photograph of this - or better still, the print itself. This is hard to judge by what we can see here. It has a fairy-tale delicacy that reminds me of French prints and I especially like the play-off of sunlight and shadow. More complex that it might look at first sight.