Curatorial Narrative In the early 20th century, as Art Nouveau gave way to the austere lines of Modernist design, anonymous artists experimented with figural forms, often stripping them of ornamentation. Ekslibris Walter von Zur Westen (1871-1948), created within this liminal period circa 1900-1910, exemplifies this transition. The artist’s linear brushwork, reminiscent of the expressive lines found in early Art Nouveau, here yields to a more measured approach, its purposeful strokes imbuing the subject with an air of quiet introspection. In black and white, the figurative form is reduced to its most essential elements: simple contours, precise volumes, and an economy of line. Enlarged to 44×74 inches, Ekslibris Walter von Zur Westen’s chromatic structure takes on a heightened sense of atmospheric weight, as the strict division between light and dark creates an almost sculptural quality. The spatial rhythm established by the artis