Georg Tappert - Lady in a Café, original linocut circa 1917, Cubism, Expressionism

Lady in a Café, original linocut from 1917, printed for the Nierendorf Gallery on the occasion of an exhibition in Berlin in 1963. Very well preserved. The reverse is typographically inscribed as "Original linocut, circa 1917". Image size approx. 14.5 x 10 cm, sheet size 21.5 x 15.5 cm.

In this work, Tappert employs the visual language of Cubism: the depicted figures and objects are broken down into geometric forms and planes, creating an abstracted, multifaceted overall image. Characteristic of Cubism is the simultaneous representation of different perspectives, resulting in a dynamic and fragmented composition. Tappert uses strong black-and-white contrasts and bold lines that graphically and expressively emphasize the subject—a lady in a hat, seated in a bustling café. The reduction to essential structures and forms, the omission of detailed elaboration, and the striking linework are typical of an expressive woodcut of the period. The work thus symbolizes the break with traditional modes of representation and the abstraction in modern art.