Madchen (Girl)

Executed solely with black drypoint ink, the work relies on the characteristic burr of the needle to produce rich, jagged lines that vary in thickness. Gramatté’s handling of the medium creates a high‑contrast effect, where the ink’s density against the wove paper accentuates the emotional intensity typical of his expressionist approach.

Created during a period when Gramatté was active in several European artistic centers, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Barcelona, the print reflects his ongoing engagement with magic‑realist themes. The piece emerged amid his broader output that often incorporated personal experiences of war and illness.

*Madchen* aligns with early‑20th‑century German expressionism, a movement that favored bold, emotive lines and a departure from realistic representation. Gramatté’s use of drypoint situates the work within a tradition of printmaking that emphasized direct, tactile mark‑making as a vehicle for psychological depth.