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Collections

Olaf Gulbransson
The great beastiary of modern literature1922

Not on view
Black ink print on cream paper depicting an inverted human-faced figure with horns and claws hovering over a bold Latin cross, with mountain peaks in the background
Ink and wash caricature drawing of a rotund human-faced bird perched on a curved branch, rendered with spare lines and gray wash shading; text reading "DER BIERBAUM" inscribed below.
Ink caricature drawing of a rotund figure swimming, body merging with stylized ocean waves rendered in fluid black lines, with the name "Björnson" lettered below
Charcoal or lithograph drawing of a heavyset bearded man seated and leaning forward, rendered with bold curving outlines and soft shading; Latin-script text reading "DIE DÄUBLER" below the image.
Charcoal or ink sketch of a dense, swirling mass of intertwined figures and organic forms within a faint circular outline, with the handwritten inscription "Das Edschmid" at upper right.
Charcoal or lithograph drawing divided into two registers: upper section shows a large robed figure with a bald head and glasses looming forward; lower section depicts a dark, densely worked scene of smaller figures in a landscape. Handwritten text "K. Einstein" at upper left.
Pen-and-ink illustration of a tall, long-necked crane with a human-like tufted hairstyle, dangling a small lyre from its beak, standing over two smaller waterfowl in a marsh setting; bordered with the text "Die george" in the upper left.
Black and white print depicting a large, rounded human torso seen from behind, with a small profile head visible at upper right. The skin surface is covered with drawings of plants, trees, flowers, and spiraling growths. A smaller figure at left faces forward, similarly covered with botanical illustrations. German script in a box at upper left reads "Das Gehauptmann."
Ink drawing caricature of a bird with the head of a bespectacled man in profile, rendered in loose fluid lines, with the caption "DIE HESSE" in block letters below.
Ink and wash caricature portrait, an exaggerated oversized head with round spectacles and swept-back hair emerging from a loosely sketched mountain landscape, with the inscription "IBSEN" at the bottom.
Lithograph of a botanical subject, likely an iris or similar flower, rendered in loose black lines and soft gray tonal washes on white. The composition shows leaves, petals, and a bulbous base with expressive, sketchy mark-making. Printed text at upper right reads "DIE KOLBANNETTE."
Ink and wash drawing of a large beetle with a human-like face lying on its back on the ground, antlers raised, beside a small plant; handwritten German text in upper right reads "Der Lasker - Schüler."
Pen and ink illustration with gray wash, two elongated caricatured male figures facing each other beside a large oak tree, with Gothic script reading "Der Thomasmann und Der Heinrichmann" in a banner at top
Pen and ink caricature drawing of two grotesque figures: a portly man in a top hat and tailcoat holding a cane at left, and a small imp-like creature with pointed ears seated on a pedestal at right, with handwritten text reading "das Meyrinck" in the upper right.
Black and white print combining caricature and graphic elements. Upper portion shows three rows of birdhouse-like shapes with black circles, beneath the handwritten text "Der Rathenau." Lower portion depicts a large bird with a bald human head in profile, its body covered with repeated text reading "D.U.D.U.," and small flags at its wing.
Charcoal or pencil sketch of a plant with broad leaves and roots, its stem topped by an abstract ghostly figure reading a paper; a small sign labeled "Rilke" is attached to the stem, rendered in loose gestural lines on white paper.
Pen or pencil sketch of a horse in profile facing right, with a long flowing mane and tail, rendered in sparse contour lines with light hatching at the base; Latin-script text at lower left reads "DER TOLSTOJ"
Black and white ink drawing of a sphinx-like figure with a bald human head in profile, wings, and an arched tail holding a laurel wreath with a bow; the figure rests on a rectangular pedestal. The word "Wedekind" appears in a framed box at upper left.
Artist or Maker
Olaf Gulbransson
Artist or Maker
Thomas Theodor Heine
Artist or Maker
Rudolf Grossmann
Title
The great beastiary of modern literature
Place Made
Germany, Berlin
Date Made
1922
Medium
Printed material and eighteen handcolored lithographs on wove paper
Dimensions
Overall: 8 1/2 x 5 5/16 x 1 in. (21.59 x 13.49 x 2.54 cm)
Credit Line
The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies, purchased with funds provided by Anna Bing Arnold, Museum Associates Acquisition Fund, and deaccession funds
Accession Number
83.1.51a-r
Classification
Books
Collecting Area
Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies
Selected Bibliography

  • Davis, Bruce. German Expressionist Prints and Drawings: The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1989; Munich, Germany: Prestel, 1989.