Herbert Klettke (1923-1984), Fishing, 1948

Herbert Klettke (1923-1984), Fishing, 1948. Woodcut on handmade paper with watermark, 27.5 cm x 18.5 cm (image), 44.5 cm x 28.5 cm (sheet size), signed “KL[ettke]” lower right in the printing block, signed again in pencil below, inscribed “Fischzug” lower left and dated “1948” in the center.
- Marginal areas with traces of creasing, minimal foxing  



- In the Net of Hope -


After the fishermen have caught nothing, Peter sails out on the Sea of Galilee, preaches from the boat and hauls in full nets. In Herbert Klettke's miraculous fishing expedition, Peter looks urgently at the viewer. The net spreads to the foreground, so that we too are "caught. The Greek word for fish is "Ichthys" and stands for the initial letters of "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior". The fish is therefore also a symbol of Christ, which is illustrated by the star next to the fish, which corresponds to the heavenly star. In Christ, the divine has become human and the miraculous fish migration expresses the hope of a return to true brotherhood after the catastrophic period of National Socialism.