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Otto Dix

Illusion Act (Illusionsakt), 1922

Description

Maker

  • Otto Dix, 1891-1969, German

Title

Illusion Act (Illusionsakt)

Year

1922

Medium

Etching with drypoint on paper

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • etching (printing process),
  • drypoint (printing process)

Supports

  • wove paper

Dimensions

Plate: 29.9 x 25.5 cm (11 3/4 x 10 1/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Inscribed in graphite on recto, LL below image: Prob. Aus der Mappe Zirkus; in graphite on recto, LR below image: DIX; in graphite LC:"Illusionsakt". Inscribed in blue pencil on verso, UL: I

Identification

State

Plate 2 from the portfolio Radierwerk IV "Zirkus" 10 Radierungen. Artist's proof.

Edition

self published by the artist in an edition of 50 impressions

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Work on Paper

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

2012.115

Projects & Publications

Publications

Manual / Issue 3

Circus
Read Online

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Circus

August 1, 2014 - February 22, 2015

The magician conjures an illusion familiar to audiences of this period: the Human Spider, an act first developed by Henry Roltair, whose hall of illusions was featured in the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Otto Dix’s heavy use of drypoint, a printmaking technique that results in soft-edged lines, adds a dreamlike quality to this image, heightening its mystery.

In the wake of World War I, Dix used his artwork to critique German bourgeois society. He felt great sympathy for circus performers and others on the fringe of society. This print is one in a portfolio of ten etchings which included images of trick riders, a tattooed lady, and an animal tamer.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Illusion Act (Illusionsakt) with the accession number of 2012.115. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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