Les Moines (The Monks)

Dolf Rieser

Atelier 17 in Paris in the 1930s was a draw for printmakers from around the world, including Dolph Rieser, who was from King William Town, South Africa. Rieser had studied with Hans Hoffman in Germany before heading to Paris and meeting Atelier 17 printmaker Joseph Hecht and then S.W. Hayter. He worked at A17 between 1928 and 1940.

Atelier 17 of the 1930s was primarily using engraving as the main approach to intaglio and Rieser primarily did engraving but, in this case, Rieser used an etched line, done very delicately like an engraving. This print, editoned at 30, is very rare. It was from the collection of Atelier 17 artist Cathal O'Toole. There were few sales of prints during the 30s and the A17 artists tended to trade with each other, any actual sale was celebrated.

According to Dolph's brother, Martin Rieser "This is an etching of catholic priests at a seminary that Dolf could see from his studio in Montparnasse, (I think) from around 1936." At this point Rieser had his studio at No.7, Rue Belloni in Montparnasse, Paris.

Dolf Rieser (1898-1983) was born in King William's Town, South Africa in 1898 and was educated in Germany and Switzerland. In 1917 he was enrolled at the Ecole Polytechnic in Zurich receiving his Diploma in Agricultural Engineering. His continued studies earned him his Doctorate in Biological Science at the University of Lausanne.

In 1923, Rieser studied with Hans Hoffman and, in 1928, joined Stanley William Hayter's new Parisian 'Atelier 17' working with both Hayter and Joseph Hecht. He worked at the atelier until 1940, at which time he moved to England to join in the war effort. After the war Rieser lectured on biology, liberal studies and art. In the 1960s he pioneered the technique of printing on fiberglass panels and laminates.

Rieser contributed prints to the Fraternity and the Salvo for Russia folios and produced his own folios of engravings entitled Africa and Tales of the Congo. He was a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and his work is included in the collections of the Victoria and Albert, Arts Council of the United Kingdom, National Gallery of Canada and the New York Public Library.