• Dutch Artists

    Dutch Artists: Han Krug

    Johannes Krug, 1890-1977

    Han Krug went to the Academy of Beeldende Kunsten in “the Hague” and after his studies he worked as a lithographic artist at several publishers. He also started painting landscapes and after 1918 he bought a press and started making wood block prints in which he developed great skills. He received a honorary certificate at the Los Angeles bookplate association

    wood block print sold 2020 Hulstein Antiques

    Han Krug

  • Before and after

    Before and after: woodcut 1950

    Cleaning a big panoramic wood cut print by Han Krug

    This was a fun job but at times also a challenging task. I peeled the paper inch by inch from the board on which it was glued. The wet paper was brittle and had to be handled with the necessary care. I used denatured water to relax the paper as fast as possible, using a sharp scalpel knife to remove the backboard. As expected, some pieces came off easily and some pieces were nerve wracking to remove.

    After this the print was washed and pressed. This print had some thicker layers of ink, almost latex like, that had a different elasticity then the paper. This resulted in waving so I had to repeat the wetting and pressing of the paper until the final result was achieved. A new fresh looking wooden frame was used to protect the cheerful piece as well as a new piece of glass and a protective matte