Friedrich Iwan (1889 Kamienna Góra – 1967 Wangen) "Shrine in the Karkonosze Mountains," aquatint, 9.5 x 13 cm, on paper, signed in pencil below the print, lower right. Condition: discoloration of the paper at the margins. On the reverse, a note about the artist and a stamp confirming purchase at the Silesian Art Salon in Wrocław.
Friedrich Iwan studied at the Wrocław School of Fine Arts from 1903 to 1908. He continued his studies from 1910 to 1914 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin-Charlottenburg. There, under Hans Meyer, he learned printmaking techniques and began working in the field of printmaking. He also began collaborating with W. Braun’s printing house in Potsdam. He served for four years during World War I. In 1921, he settled with his wife in Wilcza Poręba, Karpacz. In 1924, he bought a house in Jelenia Góra, where he lived until his expulsion in 1946. He developed his own method for creating color etchings printed from a single plate. He created landscapes, mainly of the Karkonosze Mountains. His prints were very popular and reproduced as postcards, such as the series *Farbige Radierungen aus dem Riesengebirge von Friedrich Iwan* (published by Max Leipelt in Cieplice). Iwan was also the creator of numerous commemorative and special-occasion prints. The artist was a traveler and an avid skier. He spent the winter months hiking with a backpack, in which he always carried his painting supplies. He was particularly known for his winter landscapes.
