A Journal Conceived as Art
In the history of European printmaking, certain publications transcend their format. They do not merely report on art; they participate in its making. Die Graphischen Kuenste belongs to this rarer category. Issued in Vienna beginning in 1879 under the auspices of the Gesellschaft fuer vervielfaeltigende Kunst, the journal functioned as both scholarly record and distribution vehicle for original graphic art.
To encounter a complete issue—especially from the Secessionist and interwar decades—is to encounter not simply bound paper, but a curated portfolio shaped by atelier discipline, editorial discernment, and a cultural moment that treated printmaking as a primary artistic language rather than a reproductive afterthought.
The Secessionist Climate and Cultural High Point
The journal reached intellectual maturity during the cultural climate that produced the Vienna Secession. Although distinct from the Secession's own organ, Ver Sacrum, Die Graphischen Kuenste moved within the same artistic orbit. It reflected the Secessionist belief in Gesamtkunstwerk and in the elevation of the graphic arts to equal standing with painting and sculpture.
During this phase, the publication embraced stylization, psychological depth, and disciplined craft. The print medium was not treated as secondary but as an autonomous artistic language. This period may reasonably be regarded as the journal's aesthetic apogee, establishing the authority that sustained it into the interwar decades.
Ateliers, Printers, and Production Culture
The technical quality of the journal's plates depended upon Vienna's sophisticated network of ateliers and printing houses. Institutions such as the k.k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, C. Angerer & Goeschl, and Kunstanstalt J. Loewy represent the caliber of production environment in which such work was executed. These establishments were known for precision intaglio printing, refined lithography, and high standards of paper selection and impression quality.
In this atelier system, the printer functioned as master craftsman. Artists collaborated directly with workshops during plate preparation, acid biting, stone drawing, inking, and press runs. Heavy stock distinct from the text pages was often selected for art supplements, signaling durability rather than ephemerality.
Original Conception and Artistic Integrity
Many plates, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, were conceived de novo for print rather than reproduced mechanically from paintings. A woodcut embraced carved contrast; an etching relied on the expressive potential of acid-bitten line; a lithograph preserved the immediacy of drawing on stone. Even when a painted composition served as inspiration, it was reinterpreted structurally for the demands of the chosen medium.
When clearly labeled Holzschnitt, Radierung, or Lithographie, the plate signals a traditional, hand-executed process. This distinction separates authentic graphic art from photomechanical reproduction and reinforces the journal's credibility within print culture.
Interwar Continuity and Artistic Contributors
In the interwar years, artists such as Theo Blum, Alfred Gerstenbrand, Josef Kraal, Eduard Leischning, and Josef Seger appeared in its pages. Special inserts printed on superior stock with generous margins were structured as autonomous works suitable for removal and framing. Their inclusion reflects both editorial discernment and the journal's ongoing commitment to technical excellence.
Institutional Recognition and Scholarly Use
Major museums and university print departments maintain holdings of Die Graphischen Kuenste within their permanent collections. Such retention reflects its usefulness as documentary evidence of technique, workshop practice, and artistic development. Its continued cataloging and citation in institutional systems underscore its relevance as part of the infrastructure of print scholarship.
Circulation and Survival
While precise circulation figures are not consistently recorded, the journal operated within a specialized subscriber base rather than as a mass-market periodical. Print runs were likely modest relative to commercial illustrated magazines of the era.
Because issues contained removable art supplements, many were separated over time. As a result, intact issues retaining all plates and editorial matter appear less frequently than individual sheets encountered independently in the marketplace. This pattern contributes to the relative scarcity of complete examples.
Collector Considerations and Market Perspective
For collectors, Die Graphischen Kuenste should be approached as a curated portfolio. Issues containing multiple clearly identified traditional print techniques, preserved in clean condition with intact margins and tissue guards, naturally occupy a more serious tier within early twentieth-century works on paper.
When evaluated alongside standalone gallery offerings of comparable period woodcuts, etchings, or lithographs, a complete or near-complete issue represents a coherent acquisition grounded in documented workshop production and historical context. As with all works on paper, condition, completeness, and discernment remain the primary determinants of enduring value.
