Outstanding original pen-and-ink drawing of Albert Einstein's hands, accomplished by artist Josef Scharl on an off-white 14 x 8.5 sheet, titled and signed at the bottom in pencil by the artist, "Albert Einstein's Hands, Princeton, Nov. 29, 1951, Jos. Scharl, 1951." In fine condition, with trivial chipping to the top edge. A unique perspective of the genius, executed by one of his dearest associates.
Josef Scharl (1896–1954) was a painter, draftsman, and graphic artist born in Munich. From 1918 to 1920, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He discontinued his studies prematurely and worked as a self-taught artist. In the early 1930s, he spent a short time in Paris and Rome. The rising rule of the National Socialists made life in Germany unbearable for Scharl. He was banned from working, and his works were defamed as degenerate. In 1939, he emigrated to the United States via Switzerland. There, he found support from Albert Einstein, who advocated for him as an artist and provided financial assistance.
Einstein and Josef Scharl shared a close friendship which developed primarily during their time together in America. Einstein and Scharl first got to know each other in 1927 at Einstein's summer house in Caputh through Lotte Jacobi. She hoped that the artist would become famous more quickly through a portrait of the physicist. Although the Einsteins did not particularly like the resulting portrait, it did not tarnish their friendly bond. Upon Scharl's death in 1954, Albert Einstein wrote a eulogy that was presented at his funeral, declaring that the 'few to whom art is essential will come to understand more and more what Josef Scharl has given to the world.'
