Artwork

Ziegen (Goats) from Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart (German Printmakers of Our Time)

August Gaul , 1916

Ziegen (Goats) from Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart (German Printmakers of Our Time) is an ink print by August Gaul. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1916, this lithograph titled Ziegen (Goats) appears in a bound collection that combines fifteen lithographs, eight woodcuts, eight photomechanical reproductions, and a single drypoint. The print presents a pair of goats positioned side by side; one faces the viewer with alert eyes, while the other turns away, rendered with looser, less defined lines.

Subject & Meaning

The work continues August Gaul’s long‑standing interest in animal forms, a motif that recurs throughout his career. By juxtaposing a clearly delineated goat with a more gestural counterpart, Gaul suggests both the individuality of the creature and the fleeting, instinctual qualities of animal movement.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the image relies on the medium’s capacity for fluid, spontaneous drawing. Gaul’s handling of the stone surface yields a textured surface that suggests the coarse fur of the goats, while the quick, sketch‑like strokes convey immediacy and a sense of direct observation.

History & Provenance

August Gaul (1869‑1922) was a German sculptor and printmaker linked to Expressionist currents and a founding member of the Berlin Secession. The lithograph was produced during the later phase of his career, shortly before his death, and was included in a multi‑technique volume that documented contemporary German printmaking.

Context

The volume in which Ziegen appears was assembled to showcase the diversity of print media practiced by German artists in the early twentieth century. Gaul’s contribution reflects the period’s broader fascination with animal subjects as a means of exploring form, movement, and emotional resonance within modernist art.