Artwork
Emigrants
Emigrants is an ink print by Emil Orlik. It dates from 1922 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Emigrants is a 1922 print by Emil Orlik, a Czech-German artist, executed in etching and aquatint on wove paper in a monochromatic black palette.
Subject & Meaning
The piece depicts three figures huddled together in cold weather, their faces obscured and laden with bundles, evoking a sense of displacement and hardship against a stark, wintry backdrop.
Technique & Style
Orlik employed etching and aquatint to achieve a textured, scratchy effect, with overlapping lines that convey a mood of urgency and desperation.
History & Provenance
Created in 1922, the work exemplifies Orlik's experimentation with printmaking techniques during the early 20th century; specific provenance details are not provided.
Context
Emigrants reflects the post-WWI European socio-economic climate, potentially alluding to the displacement and migration prevalent during this period.
Legacy
While specific legacy details of 'Emigrants' are not provided, it contributes to the broader recognition of Orlik's contributions to early 20th-century printmaking.
Artist & collection
Artist
Emil Orlik (21 July 1870 – 28 September 1932) was a Czech-German painter, etcher and lithographer. He lived and worked in Prague, Austria and Germany.
Exodus (L'exode)
Chestnut Vendors (Marchands de marrons)
Three Figures
Field Hospital (L'ambulance)
Greeting Grandmother (Le Bonjour à la Grand-mère)
Untitled
Témoins à l'audience (2e planche) (Evidence at the Hearing) (second plate)
Three Veiled Women (Trois femmes voilées)
Le départ de l'enfant prodigue (1ère planche, en hauteur) (The Departure of the Prodigal Son) (first plate, vertical)
Untitled