Artwork
You are sure my dear that you cannot think of anything more to help the pain?
You are sure my dear that you cannot think of anything more to help the pain? is a print by Hermann-Paul. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Created around 1924 by German artist Hermann Paul, this black‑and‑white print is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1924 by German artist Hermann Paul, this black‑and‑white print is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work bears the whimsical title “You are sure my dear that you cannot think of anything more to help the pain?” and presents a surreal tableau that invites both curiosity and amusement.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts two figures in an odd, dream‑like setting. One character, dressed in a checkered shirt and hat, rides atop a stylized, angular fish, while a second figure tumbles backward, clutching a wine bottle. The juxtaposition of the absurd scenario with the title’s reference to pain suggests a playful commentary on relief and absurdity.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, the image relies on bold, flat lines without gradation or shading, emphasizing stark contrast between black and white. The fish and surrounding forms are rendered with sharp, geometric angles rather than smooth curves, reinforcing a graphic, almost cartoonish aesthetic that heightens the work’s surreal quality.
History & Provenance
The piece dates to the mid‑1920s, a period when Hermann Paul explored experimental printmaking and satirical subjects. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (specific donor or purchase details are not recorded in the available documentation), where it remains on view as part of the museum’s early twentieth‑century print collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
René Georges Hermann-Paul (27 December 1864 – 23 June 1940) was a French artist. He was born in Paris and died in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. He was a well-known illustrator whose work appeared in numerous newspapers and…
L'Inspecteur Général Revizor
La Brebis; Le Tandem
Les petits machines à écrire
Milliners (Modistes)
Laboratoire
It is the Table on Which the Treaty of Versailles was Signed
Moi! je tiens le sabre, et le goupillon; toi la faucille, le marteau et ler pastel. C'est la barbe.
Et cela vaut! 100,000! et tout le monde le sait.
