Carstens Alwin (1906-1982) - Schlepper (tugboats) - Hamburg - German Expressionism

44 cm x 62 cm for the sheet, 22 x 31 for the printed subject. Beautiful woodcut by Alwin Carstens, depicting stylized tugboats. This powerful composition testifies to the artist's major interest in the industrial landscapes of the port of Hamburg, a central theme in his graphic work after 1945. Circa 1955–1965. In good condition, the edge of the sheet shows signs of age, invisible once framed. Sold unframed.

Alwin Carstens (Hamburg, 1906 – Hamburg, 1982) Painter, draftsman, and wood engraver.

A Hamburg artist, Alwin Carstens trained locally and developed a graphic practice from the 1930s onward, much of which was lost during the bombings of 1943. After 1945, he resumed his work in a context of artistic reconstruction, turning to panel painting and wood engraving, a medium in which he fully established himself. His recurring motifs—views of the port of Hamburg, industrial silhouettes, bridges, and cranes—extend the expressionist legacy through a powerful treatment of lines and masses.
From the In the 1950s, his style evolved towards a more structured abstraction, blending geometry and colorful rhythms, in dialogue with German Art Informel.
Belonging to the Verschollene Generation, Carstens embodies those artists whose careers were marked by war and reconstruction. His work, largely preserved in his studio (often stamped with the "Alwin Carstens 1906–1982 Nachlass" seal), remains regularly represented on the art market, particularly for his port-themed wood engravings and his mature abstract compositions.