LACMA

ShopMembershipMyLACMATickets
LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@lacma.org
(323) 857-6000
Sign up to receive emails
Subscribe
© Museum Associates 2026
  • About LACMA
  • Jobs
  • Building LACMA
  • Host An Event
  • Unframed
  • Press
  • FAQs
  • Log in to MyLACMA
  • Privacy Policy
© Museum Associates 2026
Collections

Carl Otto Czeschka
The Nibelungen legend: Retold to the German peoplecirca 1905

Not on view
Two-page illustrated print with black background; left page shows a seated woman in profile with arms outstretched, right page shows a large gold two-headed winged creature descending toward a tiny white figure on a city wall
Black and white ink illustration spread across two pages: left panel shows armored knights on decorated horses carrying tall lances and pennants; right panel depicts a large wooden siege engine or scaffolding structure with figures nearby, rendered in precise fine-line draftsmanship.
Two adjacent black-and-white prints depicting chaotic battle scenes with armored warriors on horseback, surrounded by a dense diagonal rain of arrows and spears; bold patterning of dots, checks, and stripes covers figures and animals, with decorative banners and flags above.
Black and white ink illustration spread across two panels, pages 30–31, depicting a Viking-style longship with boldly patterned sails in geometric and swirling motifs. Left panel shows a standing figure at the prow amid rigging; right panel shows the ship's carved bow approaching a walled fortification, rendered with flat graphic linework and high contrast.
Two black-and-white illustrations on facing pages, each depicting groups of standing robed figures in flattened, decorative style. Left page: densely patterned dark garments with geometric and floral motifs on a checkered floor. Right page: three figures in plain white robes and one in patterned dark robes, flanked by vertical borders with cross motifs.
Two-panel black and white print with bold graphic patterning. Left panel: four stylized standing figures in elaborately patterned robes carrying staffs and objects, against a black background with oval shapes on the ground. Right panel: row of tall grey rectangular forms resembling monoliths or buildings, same dotted ground below.
Black and white illustration in two panels with bold Art Deco linework. Left panel: a figure in patterned robes amid densely decorated curtains and textiles, with a stringed instrument on the floor. Right panel: a standing figure in classical dress viewed from behind, facing a night sky, with a cityscape below at right.
Illustrated book spread across two pages, numbered 62–63, showing stylized standing figures decorated with bold geometric and organic patterns in black, gold, and red on a cream background; figures display zigzag, spiral, wave, and diamond motifs, with smaller figures fallen at their feet.
Artist or Maker
Carl Otto Czeschka
Austria, Vienna, 1878-1960
Title
The Nibelungen legend: Retold to the German people
Place Made
Austria, Vienna and Germany, Leipzig
Date Made
circa 1905
Medium
Printed material and eight two-page color lithographs on wove paper
Dimensions
Overall: 6 x 5 9/16 in. (15.24 x 14.13 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
83.1.59a-p
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.

Copyright
© Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg

Related Unframed

Related Unframed

Avatars of the Gods
Avatars of the Gods
  • April 26, 2010