Dahlias-Study in Lavender

Dorothea Litzinger

A rare, beautifully printed early American monotype from 1917, this impression with the label from "The Ehrich Galleries / "Old Masters" / 707 Fifth Avenue - New York / 'Dahlias - Study in Lavender' / Monotype by Dorthea M. Litzinger."

Known primarily for her floral paintings, Litzinger approached this mototype in the same spirit, using a brush to apply oil based ink to the matrix and then printing the resultant "painting", creating a unique print, a monotype, that is a reverse of the drawn image.

There is a spontaneity in a monotype that can only be achieved when the matrix is printed. It is a medium that has attracted many painters over the years, perhaps an effort to lose a little control and accept what can be accidental.

In a memorial article in Art News, "The Career of Dorothea Litzinger" (1925), Litzinger is described as "radiant, young and full of energy, never afraid of hard work." Her paintings of flowers are referred to as "an expression of herself in the generosity of their color and richness of design." Dorothea Litzinger was, "an artist of intelligence and promise, always striving for something better, and could she have lived, would no doubt have attained great heights in her decorative painting."