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 motoytype 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.