Marine Landscape by Otto Eglau

This is an etching and aquatint titled Marine Landscape by German modernist Otto Eglau. This is very typical of his work in that he prefers views from above with dramatic abstraction of objects in the scene, in this case waves and some remnants of pilings from docks. The horizon is compressed at the very top of the image. It creates a very austere, desolate, almost surreal image. Without the title, one could imagine a distant city skyline enveloped in shadow. The piece itself is unframed on a full untrimmed sheet measuring 21.875 x 17.875 inches. The plate size is 19.25 x 14.25 inches. It's signed and dated in pencil lower right Eglau 60. The title and edition Marine Lanscape 46/200 is given lower left. It's in very good condition. There is some residual hinge tape at the top margin. There is mild toning. Otherwise, it is a crisp impression with rich color. There are no tears, areas of paper loss, stains, or foxing. A very representative work by this artist.

Otto Eglau (1917-1988) Otto Eglau was born in Berlin, Germany. Not much is known about him prior to WWII. He did serve in the German army and was a prisoner of war. After the war, he pursued formal art study at the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Berlin under such artists as Max Kaus, William Hoffmann, and Oskar Nerlinger. Following his studies he became an instructor of drawing and painting at the Technical University of Berlin. He also traveled extensively. Later in his career, he became interested in printmaking and from 1969 to 1976 he taught etching at the International Summer Academy for Visual Arts in Salzburg, Austra. A catalogue of his graphic work was published by Hanns Theodor Flemming in 1966. Thematically, his prints and paintings take a unique perspective aerial views. Frequently featuring power lines framing a city street or maritime ropes, docks, and pilings on a seascape he transforms the recognizable into abstract, surreal vistas. His work is held in major collections around the world including the Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and Syracuse University.