Country Night by Adolph Dehn
This is an unusual lithograph by American artist Adolph Dehn. Dehn preferred to work in black and white, so a colored lithograph is quite unusual. The other unusual feature is the very abstract nature of much of the image. While farm buildings and a barn are evident in the center of the image, the remainder of the image is quite abstract. Certainly features of the landscape are identifiable, including some cliffs on the right margin that make me think this is a Minnesota setting. The foliage in the foreground has a very abstract expressionist sensibility with drips and spatters evident. That combined with the dark palette of colors gives a foreboding albeit energetic sense to the lithograph, which contrasts with his other work which tends to be more bucolic (although there are echoes of this in some of his work from France in the 1920s). It is a very cool piece and one of my favorites of the many Dehn pieces we have handled over the years.
It is in excellent condition. There is just a bit of paper toning evident, but that does not impact the image. The colors are not faded. It is pencil signed lower right, titled in pencil lower center, and the edition 41/200 is given in pencil lower left.
Adolph Dehn (1895-1968) Adolph Dehn is a native Minnesotan having been born in Waterville and doing his initial artistic studies at the Minneapolis School of Art. From there he went to study at the Art Students League where he developed his interest in printmaking—particularly favoring lithography. As with many artists, he spent time in Europe—In his case 8 years. Most of the pieces produced and exhibited were drawings and lithographs. On his return to the United States he committed to printmaking—started his own print club, worked with the American Artists Group and was a charter member of the Associated American Artists. His early subjects reflected his time in Minnesota and Europe, although he is arguably best known for his New York subjects. He incorporated many of the artistic movements of the early and mid-20th century into his work, and showed influence of the regionalists (particularly John Stewart Curry), and the so called Ash Can school, or social realism. He also embraced aspects of caricature which are particularly evident in his New York works.
Price: $250
Size: 17.75 x 22.25 inches
Plate Size: 14.25 x 18 inches
Condition: Excellent
Medium: Lithograph
Subject: Landscape
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