Who painted Qual (Torment)?

Qual (Torment) was painted by Walter Gramatté in 1920.

Where can I see Qual (Torment)?

Qual (Torment) is held by National Gallery of Art.

Can I buy a print of Qual (Torment)?

Museum-quality prints of Qual (Torment) are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Qual (Torment)

Walter Gramatté , 1920

Qual (Torment) is an ink print by Walter Gramatté. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1920, *Qual (Torment)* is a lithographic print executed on blotting paper with a limited palette of black, yellow, red and gray‑green. The composition presents two intertwined figures confined within a cramped, shadowy space, their forms rendered in flat, bold color blocks that emphasize tension and confinement.

Subject & Meaning

The tangled bodies suggest a state of psychological distress, with one figure swathed in a red blanket and illuminated partially by a yellow light, while the other recoils, hair wild and head thrown back. The stark contrast of light and darkness, together with the aggressive black lines, conveys a sense of inner turmoil and entrapment.

Technique & Style

Gramatté employed lithography on blotting paper, a substrate that absorbs ink unevenly, producing a rough, textured surface. The use of flat, saturated hues and simplified forms aligns the work with German Expressionist aesthetics, while the dream‑like atmosphere hints at the magic‑realist tendency toward the mystical and introspective.

History & Provenance

Walter Gramatté, active in Berlin, Hamburg and later Barcelona, produced the print during a period marked by his experiences of war and personal illness. These circumstances informed the emotional intensity evident in the work, which reflects his broader engagement with figurative and symbolic imagery across his European career.

Context

*Qual (Torment)* belongs to the German Expressionist movement, a post‑World War I current that emphasized subjective emotion over realistic representation. Within this framework, Gramatté’s incorporation of magical‑realist elements—such as the uncanny lighting and symbolic coloration—places the piece at the intersection of two overlapping avant‑garde tendencies.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Walter Gramatté

Walter Gramatté (8 January 1897 in Berlin – 9 February 1929 in Hamburg) was a German expressionist painter who specialized in magic realism.

Museum

National Gallery of Art

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