It’s currently unknown who’s behind the signature “RIC”. [Update 1. October 2020]: The mystery is solved!
[Update 25. July 2024]: The previous unveiling turned out to wrong
All we currently know, ist that the real name of Ric is Fritz Neumann, but not much more.
[Update 23. October 2024]: Ric has been found (again), since we now know a bit about Fritz Neumann, the artist behind the pseudonym
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There seem to exist paintings by “Ric”, but most currently known works are prints. some Internet sites are quite misleading about the technique he used. Some are stated to be (colour) wood block prints, but they are almost certainly colourized etchings. Quite striking, “Ric” never seem to number his prints. This can be taken as a sign that they have been reprinted quite often.
Most of his works seem to appear in Europe, more specifically in Germany. If you find something with a tag of a gallery (like on this one), please let me know!
Most of the subjects relate to maritime things like sailing ships and boats, harbours and fishing nets. A second motive seem to be small streets and alleys, sometimes next to an harbour. The third group of subjects are birds. One striking exception is Ric 21 (the Gedächniskiche in Berlin) .
Judging by the motives, the style of the frames and external assessment, he was probably active between the 50ies (see Ric 21 ) and 70ies (see Ric 23 )
Two signs are a good indicator for works of him. At first the signature, usually on the lower right. And second, a stamp mark at the lower left. The mark might be a hint on his identity. Posts which feature some detail photographs of the stamp mark are tagged .
Ric’s Signature
The stamp mark used on the sheets
