Other Prints · 20th century
€ 1 650
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Condition report: Very good original condition, with minor traces of age and small tape marks on the edges not affecting the image. Paper lightly toned with subtle foxing consistent with age.
Original Illustration “Crossing Under Fire” by Charles Burki, 1953 – Gouache and Ink Drawing
Powerful wartime illustration by Dutch artist Charles Burki (1909–1994), signed and dated “Charles Burki ’53” at lower right. Executed in gouache and ink on paper, the scene captures a tense moment as a group of German soldiers attempt to cross a ravine on a fallen tree trunk during battle. One officer crouches and points, urging his men forward as others cautiously balance across the precipice. The composition’s diagonal structure, combined with Burki’s bold contrasts of light and shadow, intensifies the sense of danger and motion.
The drawing is a striking example of Burki’s mastery of narrative illustration. Using a restrained monochrome palette with expressive highlights in white, he conveys not only the peril of the crossing but also the human struggle and discipline within the chaos of war. His attention to texture—the cracked bark, the soldiers’ rain-soaked uniforms, the misty background—reveals both his architectural training and journalistic precision.
Charles Burki was born in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1909 and trained as an architect before turning to art. During the Second World War, his life was marked by extraordinary survival. Captured by the Japanese after the invasion of the Dutch East Indies, he endured years of forced labor as a prisoner of war. He survived the torpedoing of a Japanese transport ship that killed hundreds of POWs and later, while interned near Nagasaki, survived the atomic bombing of August 1945. These experiences of endurance and trauma left a profound impression on him and informed his later work’s intensity and realism.
After the war, Burki returned to the Netherlands and became one of the country’s most versatile illustrators, contributing to major magazines such as Panorama and Elsevier. His works from the 1950s and 1960s often depicted wartime and historical themes, executed with cinematic clarity and emotional restraint.
This 1953 gouache reflects the postwar fascination with the memory of conflict and the endurance of the human spirit. It stands as both a document of its time and a testament to Burki’s personal resilience and technical brilliance.
Condition report: Very good original condition, with minor traces of age and small tape marks on the edges not affecting the image. Paper lightly toned with subtle foxing consistent with age.
Framing tips: Best presented in a black or gunmetal frame with a white or soft grey mat to emphasize the monochrome tonality and depth of the composition.
Technique: Gouache and ink on paper
Maker: Charles Burki, The Netherlands, 1953
