August Sander
Anonymous
Wilhelm and Wilhelmine Schumacher, Oberölfen, Westerwald
Early 1900s
Two bromoil prints, each flush-mounted to strong card. 49.2 x 39.6 cm and 49.5 x 39 cm. The first print signed in crayon lower left. The second print signed and inscribed 'REP' in crayon lower left. - Each print in original artist's frame.
It is a well-documented fact that August Sander, at the request of his clients, also printed the portraits shot by other photographers, which he then denoted as 'reproduction'. Today we can only speculate about the reasons why he did not depict the Schumacher couple together; a likely assumption is that the portrayed woman had already passed away when August Sander took the photograph of her husband. The traces of brushes, which are clearly visible along the edges in the bromine oil print shown here, suggest that the original format was an oval one, which Sander then adapted in the reproduction of his own photograph. Numerous further retouches can be found on the print, which Sander adapted according to his own concept. The bromine oil printing process, in which the use of a brush to apply the oil-based printing ink is part of the production process was, in any case, advantageous for him. Our portraits date back to Sander's early creative period when he used this superior printing process in order to satisfy his customers' request for representative portraits; accordingly, the original frames are elaborately designed. Today, only a few of August Sander's superior prints have survived since he soon abandoned this technique in order to turn his attention to a genuine photographic aesthetic.
Provenance
From the photographer to the familiy of the present owners