Bildnis Theodor Herzl.

£8,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books · No longer available

etching signed by Herzl Struck's most famous work and one of the symbols of Zionism - a powerful portrait of Theodor Herzl, signed by Herzl himself. Hermann Struck (1876-1944) and Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) met several times in Egypt and Vienna before this portrait etching was created in 1903. A fervent Zionist and admirer of Herzl's, Struck made his preparatory sketches for the portrait when he visited the political activist's house in Vienna. During the sixth Zionist Congress in Basel in August 1903, the two met again and on this occasion Herzl asked Struck to allow him to sign a few of the first copies of the etching. Struck depicted Herzl's visionary side by giving us the impression that he is looking towards the future. Although Struck made two additional etchings of this portrait after Herzl's death, it is the 1903 version that has remained the most famous, and the most iconic of all the portraits of Theodor Herzl. Indeed, the image came to be one of the emblems of Zionism and has been used on various posters, products and catalogues ever since: 'Within a short period of time the etching became so well known that it emerged as a symbol of Zionism, especially after the death of the charismatic leader in 1904. It was then that the portrait won the respect of all the Zionist circles. By the time the State of Israel was founded, this portrait of Theodor Herzl was considered the epitome of Zionism itself. It decorated the walls of every Zionist event, anywhere' (Hermann Struc

• Binding: Hardcover

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