A powerful early modernist lithograph by Berlin Secessionist artist August Gaul (1869-1922). The lithograph is titled "The Bear in the Carpathian Mountains", it is a provocative image that depicts a captive bear, nose ring chained to a wooden post, actually a political commentary on the Russian war effort to invade Germany during WWI.  

The lithograph is hand signed in pencil by the artist and also signed in the stone.  The image measures approx. 9 1/2 x 11 inches, sheet size is approx. 13 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches and it is printed in black ink on wove paper. Aside from minor surface grime and some handling creases in the very ample margins, it is in excellent condition.

Aside from the small edition of hand signed proofs such as this one, this lithograph was also used as the cover art for the Paul Cassirer's art periodical "Kriegszeit. Künstlerflugblätter", vol. 1, no. 37 (28 April 1915). There is a copy of it in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.