Marie Hager, unexpected Mecklenburg printmaker 1919

The never ending research into the lives of forgotten and obscured first generation german printmaking women artists today leads to Marie Hager. I found her in a 1919 catalogue.  

Hager, Marie 

(Penzlin in Mecklenburg 20-03-1872 – 25-04-1947 Burg Stargare in Mecklenburg)

Post-Impressionist landscape and architectural painter and printmaker.

Known from 320 paintings but as printmaker by just this one woodblock print represented in the woodblock section of a 1919 Lissner and Wohlgemut Grafik Katalog with an introduction by Berlin art dealer, collector and galerist Fritz Gurlitt (1854-1893). Other printmaking women represented besides Alexander Brendel: Helene Isenbart, Helene Mass, Anna Bähker, Helene Frauendorfer-Muhltaler.

Below Wismar harbour (near Lübeck) Ostsee. 

Daughter of pastor Adolf Hager (1836-1923). She grew up in Dargun Mecklenburg where her father was “Probst” (comparable with archdeacon). She started musical studies as a singer in Hamburg but switched to painting studying 1904 with Berlin Secessionst and professor in Berlin Academy Max Uth (1863-1914) who had been a student of Eugen Bracht (1842-1921) in Berlin and by Bracht himself and also with impressionist Hans Licht (1876-1935) and Ernst Kolbe (1876-1945). Both had been also Bracht students. 

Below: Poel Island near Wismar, Ostsee. 

She exhibited for the first time 1910 in Hannover and in 1911 in Berlin regularly represented in exhibitions in Germany (Munich, Hamburg, Berlin) and in Paris. Through her teachers she became familiar with the village of Stargard where they lead summer painting classes (“Stargarder Malschule”) and where she had a house build in 1921. 

After her death she left the house, paintings, collections etc. to a niece who donated it to the city of Burg Stargard. Known as the “Marie Hager Haus” it is managed by the “Marie Hager Kunstverein Burg Stargard” arranging exhibitions and visits.

Marie Hagens house in Burg Stargard. 

Dresslers KHB 1921 & 1930: Stargard im Mecklenburg. Member VdK 1913-1940, exh. 1928/29, 1934.

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