Das leere Café (The Empty Café)

1917

Walter Gramatté

Associated Names
Walter Gramatté

Artist, German, 1897 - 1929

This is a drawing of a café interior. It depicts various furnishings and architectural elements. The drawing is executed in pencil or charcoal, creating a monochromatic and textured appearance. There is a row of round tables and chairs to the left, arranged in diminishing perspective, leading deeper into the café. In the foreground, there is a person not fully detailed, giving the scene a sketch-like quality. On the right, other tables and chairs are spaced throughout the room. The ceiling features a chandelier or hanging lights for illumination. The ambiance is quiet, capturing the essence of an early 20th-century café setting. Shading and line work are used to create depth and texture.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite with touches of stumping on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Merritt Porter Dyke Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 34.1 x 26.2 cm (13 7/16 x 10 5/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2007.71.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Villa Grisebach, Berlin, 29 November 2003, no. 547). (Jörg Maass Kunsthandel, Berlin); purchased 2007 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 143.

Inscriptions

upper left in graphite: Das leere Café / W. G. 17; lower left in graphite: Gramatté 17; by later hand in graphite, lower right verso: BW 2/ 53

Wikidata ID

Q64634023

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