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

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

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 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