Accordian Player
Woodcut, undated (1920s-1930s), edition 110. 16 1/4 x 8 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. Signed in ink with the artist's red monogram stamp. This is a fine impression of this large woodcut printed on very thin Japanese paper. The margins are probably full. The condition is very good apart from four small brown paper hinges at the corners and obscure traces of foxing here and there. Eekman was born in Brussels and settled in Paris in 1920. He exhibited widely in Europe and was quite friendly with Mondrian and Signac. He was very active as a painter and woodblock artist and also showed his prints in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Toronto and Chicago. (There's a wonderful web site which has been organized by the artist's daughter, Luce: nicolaseekman.com.) As seen in the work of Henri van Straten, Victor Delhez and Nicolas Eekman, among others, a macabre and thoroughly captivating sense of humor often pervades Belgian aesthetics during the 1920s and 1930s. Ensor was an influence on this generation.
$1,500

Cafe Scene
Woodcut, circa 1925, edition 110. 10 x 7 1/2 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. Also, signed in red ink in the lower left corner with the artist's monogram. This is a fine impression printed on thin Japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is very good. (There's a small, inherent paper imperfection in the right margin which shows as a thin spot.) This engaging work was done while he was living in Paris. He had moved there in 1921. Eekmann was friendly with Mondrian and they exhibited together at the Galerie Jeanne Bucher in 1928. (From the collection of Jan Remmet de Groot, curator of paintings (1968-1994) at the Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem.)
SOLD

Crowd in Motion # 1 (Massagang #1)
Woodcut, 1923, small edition, perhaps 50. 11 1/2 x 12 in. Signed in pencil, lower right, and signed in the lower left with the artist's red ink monogram. This is a superb, dark impression of this large work. Printed on thin Japanese paper, the margins are full. The condition is fine apart from minor toning along the extreme top edge of the margin and a tiny break in the lower right margin corner. This is one of two related prints by this title. Eekman liked the idea of the processional as a design concept as shown in his seven image work called "Danse Macabre" from 1924. This print may relate to the Flight into Egypt theme.
SOLD

Crowd in Motion # 2 (Massagang #2)
Woodcut, 1923, small edition, perhaps 50. 11 1/2 x 11 7/8 in. Signed in pencil, lower right. Signed in the lower left with the artist's red ink monogram. This is a superb, dark impression printed on thin Japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is very good overall but with a wrinkle in the right margin and toning along the top edge of the margin. This is the companion work to Massagang # 1. According to the artist's daughter, Luce, these two works are not pieces of a larger sequence of images. The symbolism of the hands in various poses remains a mystery.
SOLD

Dance of Death in Seven Tempos (Dood- Dans in Zeven Tempos)
Woodcuts, 1924, edition 200. each woodcut 10 3/4 x 6. Signed in red ink with the artist's monogram on the left and signed in pencil, lower right. This set of seven woodcuts (plus title page) consists of fine, uniform impressions in very good condition. The margins are full as issued. This masterful Belgian expressionist work is printed on one sheet of Toshi paper and presented in an accordian fold, with the original presentation wrapper. Eekman was born in Brussels and settled in Paris in 1920. He exhibited widely in Europe and was quite friendly with Mondrian and Signac. He was very active as a painter and woodblock artist and also showed his prints in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Toronto and Chicago. (There's a wonderful web site which has been organized by the artist's daughter, Luce: nicolaseekman.com.) As seen in the work of Henri van Straten, Victor Delhez and Nicolas Eekman, among others, a macabre and thoroughly captivating sense of humor often pervades Belgian aesthetics during the 1920s and 1930s. James Ensor is best known and certainly an early inspiration, but there were many other printmakers whose work stands out. This is particulary evident in the woodcut medium and Eekman's version of "danse macabre" is exemplary.
SOLD

Family
Woodcut, circa 1925-30, edition unknown but probably small. 10 1/8 x 5 3/4 in. Signed in pencil lower right. This fine impression is printed on a thin Japanese paper. The margins are narrow (about 1/2" all around). The condition is fine. Eekman developed his own expressionist woodcut style with an emphasis on the figurative. His work can be found in many museum collections.
$500

Man Planting in a Garden
Woodcut, 1920s, edition 96. 7 7/8 x 8 3/4 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. Also, this impression has the artist's red ink monogram in the lower left corner. Here we have a superb, rich impression printed on thin Japanese paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is very good other than traces of old adhesive in the four margin corners, verso, from an early mount.
$700

Man with Horse
Woodcut on thin Japanese paper, undated (circa 1925), edition 110. 7 1/8 x 9 3/8 in. Signed in pencil and also signed with the artist's red ink monogram. A superb impression. Wide margins. Minor rippling in the margins most likely a result of the printing process. Eekman was born in Brussels but moved to Paris in 1920. His potent expressionist blockprints are found in museums in Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Prague and Chicago among others.
SOLD

Mother and Child
Woodcut, circa 1925, edition perhaps 50. 7 x 5 5/8 in. Signed in red ink with the artist's monogram. Also signed in pencil and inscribed "épr.d'art" (épreuvre d'artiste).This is a rich impression printed on tissue thin oriental paper. The condition is fine apart from a few subtle printing creases which are hardly noticeable. The condition is fine overall and the sheet is attached along the top edge to a larger sheet of brown laid paper, mostly likely by the artist. An outstanding recent book has been published about Eekman: Nicolas Eekman; Peintre et Graveur," by Emmanuel Bréon, Norma Editions (2021). Text is in French and English.
$500

The Couple
Woodcut, 1920s, edition unknown but probably 50 or fewer. 7 5/8 x 10 1/8 in. Signed in pencil, lower right, and signed with the artist's red ink monogram, lower left. This is a fine impression printed on very thin Japanese paper, typically the choice of Eekman for his woodcuts. The margins are full and the condition is fine. Eekman was born in Brussels and settled in Paris in 1920. He exhibited widely in Europe and was friendly with Mondrian and Signac. He was very active as a painter and woodblock artist and even showed his prints in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Toronto and Chicago. (There's a wonderful website which has been organized by the artist's daughter, Luce. Visit: nicolaseekman.com.) As seen in the work of Henri van Straten, Victor Delhez and Nicolas Eekman, among others, a somwhat macabre and thoroughly captivating sense of humor often pervades Belgian aesthetics during the 1920s and 1930s. James Ensor was an early inspiration for this underrated Belgian expressionist printmaker.
SOLD

The Couple
Woodcut, 1920s, edition perhaps 25-50. 7 3/4 x 8 in. Signed in pencil and also signed in red ink with the artist's monogram. This a fine impression printed on thin Japanese paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. The artist attached the print to a sheet of tan paper at the top corners which created the effect of a nighttime atmosphere. Eekman was born in Brussels and settled in Paris in 1920. He exhibited widely in Europe and was quite friendly with Mondrian and Signac. He was very active as a painter and woodblock artist and also showed his prints in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Toronto and Chicago. (There's a wonderful web site which has been organized by the artist's daughter, Luce: nicolaseekman.com.) As seen in the work of Henri van Straten, Victor Delhez and Nicolas Eekman, among others; a macabre, expressionist, and captivating (yet understated) sense of humor often pervades Belgian aesthetics during the 1920s and 1930s. Ensor was an influence on this generation.
SOLD