Drei Bäume (Three Trees) – Early 20th-Century Etching, Artist Unknown, ca.1920

€ 380

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1920
Mapmaker / artist: Unknown artist (signed “Traugott Schaller”), Central Europe, circa 1920–1930
Technique: Etching on laid paper
Sheet size: 20.6 × 26 cm (8.1 × 10.2 in)
Condition: Excellent
Reference: BG-12243-81

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Impression on laid paper with full margins and visible plate mark. Slight toning in margins and minimal handling traces.

About this sheet

Drei Bäume (Three Trees) – Early 20th-Century Etching, Signed by unknown

Delicate and contemplative etching depicting three bare trees in front of a quiet city building, with two children playing in the foreground and a solitary figure standing in the distance. The work captures a peaceful, introspective urban moment rendered in fine, expressive linework.

The etching bears a pencil inscription lower left “Drei Bäume” (Three Trees) and a signature lower right that appears to read “Traugott Schaller” or similar, though the artist remains unidentified. The style and subject suggest a Central European origin, likely German or Austrian, dating from the 1920s or 1930s.

Executed with elegant simplicity, the print reflects influences from early Expressionist and Bauhaus-era etchers who explored the geometry of urban life and the emotional resonance of landscape forms.

Framing tips: A thin black or walnut frame with a wide ivory mat will accentuate the composition’s quiet balance and tonal subtlety.