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Spectacular limited edition 9.75 x 12.75 etching of Albert Einstein in right-facing near profile by Hermann Struck, numbered 149/150, signed in the lower border in pencil by the subject, "Per aspera ad astra, Albert Einstein, April 21," evoking the Latin phrase for 'through hardships to the stars.' Also signed in pencil by the artist, "Hermann Struck." The etching carries the artist's facsimile monogram and date inherent to the print: "HS 1920." In very fine condition.
Embodying a universal theme of triumph over adversity to achieve a lofty goal, 'per aspera ad astra' carries power in its poetic message. Most notably, it became a motivating force in the aftermath of the Apollo 1 fire—today, the Latin motto is inscribed on the Apollo 1 memorial plaque at Pad 34—serving as a reminder that the ultimate goal of reaching the stars was worth sacrifice and struggle. Einstein, too, faced struggles in his efforts to explain the universe, facing years of intellectual isolation and skepticism as he worked to challenge the long-standing Newtonian understanding of physics.
The painter, lithographer, and etcher Hermann Struck (1876–1944) was born in Berlin. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. In 1923, Struck, a devout Jew and passionate Zionist, emigrated to Palestine, becoming a member of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and co-founding the Museum of Art in Tel Aviv. Best known for his etchings, he created portraits of several distinguished subjects including Einstein, Freud, Nietzsche, and Ibsen. Einstein and Struck maintained a friendly relationship that, as letters show, continued even after Struck migrated. Struck's nephew, Henry Pachter, reports on meeting Einstein as a child: in 1921 or 1922, he recalls being sent to the scientist with a stack of etchings that Struck had just completed, to have them signed by the genius physicist.
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