Doramaria Purschian

Recently my attention was pointed to and was asked by a reader of the blog to pay attention to Doramaria Purschian, a painter and graphically active woman artist. She had not come to my attention but I agree, she should be in my index. So far I was only able to find one example of her graphic work, an etching. 

Purschian, Doramaria (Ella Margaretha Maria Dora) 

Berlin 06-07-1890 – 11-07-1972 Berlin

Painter, portrait painter and graphic artist. 

She was the daughter of engineer Ernst Purschian and his wife Gabriela, studied 1907-1909 at Berlin “Königliche Kunstschule in the "Zeichenlehrer-seminar” graduating as a teacher at drawing in 1909. She was one of the first women to graduate from an official institution in Germany, at the time very controversial: Berlin “Staatliche Kunstakademie” not accepted female students until 1919. 

Castle (Schloß) Eutin (between Kiel and Lübeck). 

She continued her studies in 1912 with Fritz Bürger (1867-1927) and Lovis Corinth (1858-1925). Her first and very successful solo exhibition was held in 1918 in the Roemer- und Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim. She worked as a Red-Cross nurse in WWI 1914-1918 and afterwards as a free creating artist until 1930 and well known portrait painter. After her brother Frank died in 1939 she lead the heating company established by her father. Described as “gute Portraitistin und Kindermaler” (good portrait and children painter) in the (Nazi) “Reichskammer für bildende Künste (Leistungsgruppe B)”.

After WWII she received a "Mention Speciale" during the 1969 New York "2^nd Exhibition of European Painters in the U.S.A.” and an honorary membership in Rome’s Art Academy.

Member of the VdBK 1928/29-1961 and member of the "Darlehns- und Unterstützungsdasse  since 1946. Exhibited with the VdBK 1928/29, 1929, 1934, 1937, 1942, 1954.Member of the VdBK 1929-1961 and since 1946 of the “Berufsverband Bildender Künstler Berlins”. In 1949 she was the victim of a brutal robbery and became severely injured never recovering completely. She is buried in the old part of Berlin-Lichterfelde “Parkfriedhof” cemetery.

Dresslers KHB 1930: Berlin Dahlem, Humboldstraße 19, Member RvBK, VdK.

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Her teacher 

Fritz Bürger (Munich 16-07-1867 – 1927 Lindau) 

Painter, lithographer and well known portrait painter. 

Studied at Munich “Kunstakademie” 1883-1888, at the “Ecole des Beaux-Arts” 1891-1897 and at the “Académie Julian” in Paris 1893-1896. Awarded many awards gold and silver medals 1897-1909. Settled 1899-1905 in Basel and then moved to Berlin where he became a professor in the “Kunstakademie” moving to a villa near Berlin 1910.

Exhibited from 1895 in the Munich Secession and at the “Großen Berliner und Dresdner Kunstaustellungen” and was awarded many silver and gold medals. He was a celebrated portrait artist painting many of his contemporaries and was highly praised for his children portraits. Bürger is from Swiss descent. Besides his portraits he known from a series of 1898 lithographs: "Frauentypen vom Münchner  Künstlerfest". 

  

He married sculptor, painter and arts and crafts artist Sophie Hartmann (Munich 23-05-1868 – 1940 Munich), selftaught but also studying 1884-1887 at Munich “Königliche  Kunstgewerbe-schule” at the “Damen-akademie des Münchners Künstlerinnenverein” and at the “Académie Julian” in Paris where she met her husband.

Bronze pen holder  

Like her husband she was an international award winning artist 1900-1907. After a stay in Dürnbach they moved to Lindau in 1922 and after the death of Fritz Bürger she moved back to Munich. 

Dresslers KHB 1921: Dürnbach near Gmund at Tegernsee (Bavaria). Member VBK, VSMBA, BasKG, MS, ADK.   

All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only.