Fritz Köthe (1916 Berlin - 2005 ibid) 'Schienenreiniger', gouache and chalk pastel on thin card, sheet size 42.5 cm x 55 cm, signed, dated 39, titled on the reverse, dated 1939, mounted, with a minor surface tear to the card on the reverseAfter training as a graphic artist in the 1930s, Köthe worked as a commercial artist in Berlin as of 1939. A relatively small oeuvre exists from this period, which he created on the side as a freelance artist. He was especially influenced by the socially critical art of Käthe Kollwitz, with which he met with rejection from the Nazi art establishment, as expected. The Rail Cleaners is an excellent example of how Köthe relentlessly captures the dreary, monotonous activity of anonymous, faceless workers in a snapshot in muted shades of black, gray, and purple. After the war, Köthe changed his style completely.