Aerial Meeting (Fliegmeeting)
Woodcut, 1934, edition 25. 13 1/2 x 9 5/8 in. Initialed in the block. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression in very good condition. (There's a slight bit of discoloration within a previous mat opening.) The margins are wide and probably untrimmed. Herckenrath studied at the Academy in Antwerp and he was influenced early on by van Straten. This work is typical for the artist who was one of the premiere block print artists of this period in Belgium. His designs are memorable and along with van Straten, he's really a much better printmaker than the better known Masereel.
SOLD

Drunken Cossack (Dronken Kozak)
Etching, 1936, Jakob Smits Museum retrospective #43, edition probably 25. 11 7/8 x 9 1/2 in. Initialed and dated in the plate, lower right. Signed and titled in pencil. The print is also inscribed as an artist's proof ("ép d'art.") This compelling image is beautifully drawn on copper. Angular distortions of the architecture reinforce the inebriated state of the subject.
$700

Metropolis
Woodcut, 1935, Horemans pg. 55; Jakob Smits Museum retrospective 2, edition 50. 17 5/8 x 13 1/2 in. Signed, titled and dated in pencil. This impression is dedicated to friends of the artist (Mr. & Mrs. Scheers) and comes to us from a family member. This is a superb impression printed on white wove paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. Herckenrath studied at the Academy in Antwerp and he was influenced early on by Henri van Straten. This is an exceptional modernist, even futuristic image and arguably the artist's finest print.
SOLD

Mysticism (Mystiek)
Woodcut, 1952, Not listed in the Jakob Smits Museum Retrospective catalogue, edition probably 25. 15 x 11 3/8 in. Initialed in the block, lower left. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. This is a trial proof and is so inscribed. The margins are full and the condition is very good apart from slight toning within an early mat opening. There's a complex narrative regarding this compelling family portrait. The Herckenraths had one daughter, Mariette, who died at a young age. This print appears to express a state between heaven (the stars), and earth; butterflies, flowers, a river, etc. which might refer to a stage between heaven and earth. This is a highly personal narrative to say the least. (I'm grateful to a friend of the artist in Belgium for assisting me in the explanation of this print. His parents were very close friends of the artist and this stellar group of Herckenrath prints are directly from this source.)
$1,800

Old Romanticism (Oude Romantiek)
Engraving, 1958, Jakob Smits Museum retrospective #37, edition 25. 8 1/8 x 9 3/8 in. Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil. Initialed in the plate lower left. This is a fine impression in excellent condition. The margins are full. This engaging image celebrates the great sailing ships from earlier days and diverse cultures around the world.
$550

Street Musician (Straatmuzikant)
Woodcut, 1942, Smitsmuseum catalogue # 9, edition unknown. 17 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. Initialed in the block, lower left. Signed and titled in pencil. The sheet is also inscribed, "pr.v/e afdruk," which means "proef van een afdruk" (trial proof). This is a fine, even impression printed on off-white laid paper. The margins are wide and probably untrimmed. The condition is very good apart from soft wrinkling in the top margin. This potent wartime image is featured on the cover of the 1977 retrospective catalogue of the artist's prints which was held at the Jakob Smitsmuseum. Herckenrath was strongly influenced by the woodcuts of Henri van Straten. As stated in the Dictionnaire Biographique (Volume II) by Pas/Corval, page 152, "Est un des xylographes les plus importants de l'epoque."
SOLD

Sunday Farmers (Zondagsboeren)
Woodcut, 1943, Jakob Smits Museum retrospective #10, edition 25. 15 3/4 x 14 5/8 in. Initialed in the block, lower left. Signed, titled and numbered below the image. This is a superb impression with full margins. The condition is excellent. The title refers to the people who ardently take care of their gardens after work and on the weekends. This large, wartime work is represented in the Plantin Moretus Museum in Antwerp.
$2,400

The Lovers (De Verloofden)
Linoleum cut, 1942, subsequent to the Horemans catalogue, edition probably 25. 12 7/8 x 10 in. Initialed in the block. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on light cream laid paper. The condition is quite good other than a faint bit of toning within a previous mat opening. The margins are full. Herckenrath studied at the Academy in Antwerp and was influenced by the prints of Henri van Straten. This is an outstanding example of his work.
SOLD

The Neighbors (De Buren)
Woodcut, 1950, Jakob Smits Museum retrospective catalog # 12, edition unknown. 15 x 11 1/8 in. Initialed in the block. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression printed on off-white wove paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. This entertaining, post-war image shows the lighter side of Herckenrath's art. The Jakob Smits Museum held a retrospective of his work in 1977 with an accompanying catalogue. The early work is detailed in Karel Horemans 1941 book, Antoon Herckenrath, Houtsnijder. We are certain editions were rather small given the overall scarcity of the prints in today's market.
$1,600

The Poachers (Stroopers)
Linoleum cut, 1934, Horemans pg. 90, edition 25. 14 7/8 x 11 in. Initialed in the block and signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression printed on off-white laid paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. This large work is an outstanding example of Belgian expressionist printmaking between the wars. Along with van Straten, Masereel, the brothers Cantre and others, Herckenrath created a compelling body of graphic images often depicting potent themes and the emotional angst of the day. Block prints became the medium of choice for the message. The editions tend to be small and this important material is proving to be difficult to find today.
SOLD

The Uncrowned King (De Ongekroonde Konig)
Woodcut, 1941, Not listed in the Jakob Smits Museum Retrospective catalogue, edition probably 25. 13 x 10 in. Initialed in the block, lower left. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. Also, inscribed, "proefdruk." This is a superb impression of this exemplary Belgian wartime, expressionist woodcut. The margins are full and the condition is fine. In Flanders, "an "ongekroonde konig" is someone who acts like a king, or even a tyrant, in his own territory or sphere of influence. Herckenrath was ecologically minded and he detested the misuse of power, particularly with regards to the natural world.
$2,000

Tunisian Dancer (Tunesische Danseres)
Engraving, 1944, Not listed in the Jakob Smits Museum Retrospective catalogue, edition probably 25. 6 3/8 x 4 1/4 in. Initialed in the block, lower right. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. This is also described as a trial proof "proefdruk" with an additional pencil dedication in the lower margins. Herckenrath had a large library and read many books on other civilizations. He was inspired by exotic subjects.
$650