Lydia and Berty
1921
Medium
drypoint on wove paper [unique proof]
Dimensions
plate: 33.5 x 40.2 cm (13 3/16 x 15 13/16 in.) sheet: 36.5 x 48 cm (14 3/8 x 18 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
2001.10.1
Art Historical Context
**Lydia and Berty** a striking drypoint print by German artist Karl Hubbuch 1921, during the turbulent early years of the Weimar Republic Hubbuch, a key figure in the New Objectivity movement (Ne Sachlichkeit), captured everyday subjects with unflinching realism subtle satire, reacting against the emotional excesses of Expressionism. This proof on wove paper—measuring 33.5 x 40.2 cm on the plate—depicts the titular figures in intimate, candid detail, reflecting the era's social flux amid post-World War I recovery. Drypoint, Hubbuch's chosen technique, involves scratching directly into a metal...