Artwork of the month

Kurt Günther (German, 1893- 1955)

„Die Apokalypse“ (The apocalypse), 1921, Pencil on paper 

Günther was a fellow student of Otto Dix and Otto Griebel at the "Kunstgewerbeschule Dresden" 1913 and 1914. After serving WWI, he returned to Dresden to study at the Artacademy. Like Dix and Griebel, he was member of the Dresden DADA group. In 1933-34  his house was searched several times by the Gestapo.  Günther was imprisoned and his work was declared degenerated. 11 works of his were confiscated. After the war, he worked as schoolteacher and was appointed Professor. The drawing above was created while Günther was staying in Bad Reichenhall. Little is known of his time there. Religious topics are found mostly in woodcuts for example from 1919 "Banishement from Paradise", "Crucifiction" and "Madonna".

Fritz Bach (German, 1890- ?) 

"Portrait of a man", 1910s, Oilcolour on canvas.

Little is known about the painter Fritz Bach. He was born in Heidelberg and later on was resident in Wertheim, Germany. Bach started out at the Darmstaedter Sezession. During this time he worked as a jewellery designer. His early painted works are done in a very powerful expressionist style. The above "Portrait of a man" resembles strongly  to works of Ludwig Meidner of the same time. Later on, Bach became more moderate and found a more naturalistic style. The artists estate is located at the "Museen der Stadt Wertheim".    

Well Habicht (German, 1884- 1966)

"Bunter Scherenschnitt" (Coloured Scissorcut), 1918, Collage on paper.

Well Habicht worked as a sculptor in Darmstadt, Germany. He was one of the first members of the Group "Die Darmstaedter Sezession". In a review of the "Herbstausstellung 1921" (Autumnexhibition 1921) of the "Darmstaedter Sezession" his sculptures are described as follows:

"Neben ihm [Carl Gunschmann] hielt sich gut Well Habicht, ein ernster, emsiger Schaffer mit größter Gediegenheit des Handwerklichen, intellektuell ganz ungebrochen. Seine Arbeiten („Kniende", „Jüngling") haben die schöne
Ruhe des Naturhaflen, die hohe Qualität absoluter Ehrlichkeit, eine unverkennbare, echte Naivität des Ausdruckshaften und die absichts-
lose Einfachheit gewachsener Gebärden. "

Habichts coloured scissorcuts are mentioned in C. Mierendorffs, H. Schiebelhuths and Wuerths expressionist Periodical 'Die Dachstube" (The Garret) , Darmstadt, 1918. It is obvious, that the scissorcut is a sculptors work because it is strongly focussed on the form.

In 1928, Habicht was awarded the famous "Georg-Büchner- Preis" (Georg Büchner medal) for outstanding artistic achievement.  He became well known for his work at the "Hessische Keramische Manufaktur AG.", Darmstadt , Germany.

MP