Maria Delago, an unexpected pleasure

Maria Delago

(St. Leonhard im Passeier 11-01-1902 – 02-10-1979 Bresanone)

Austrian Arts and Crafts  and ceramic artist, sculptor and printmaker.  

Thanks to a helping hand and a hint from Lily (of the much missed Japonism blog) I recently came to know this artist. Although she is slightly outside my field of research (born just after 1900) I immediately have included her into my research and biographies list: like Lily I love an artist who just needs her garden to inspire her to such delicate creations of lasting beauty. 

(See also Marlies Meinshausen-Felsing, Thea Gutmann, Lisbet Schultz: follow labels below)   

These color etchings remind me strongly of the delicate floral prints by Scandinavian printmaker Maja Fjaested (1873-1961) whom I introduced earlier (here, or follow the label below) in 2011 in this Blog. 

Maria was the artistic daughter of a district judge and Rosa Amalia Plant. Studied 1922-1926 in the “Kunstgewerbeschule des Östereichischen Museum für Kunst und Industrie” in Vienna with sculptor, ceramist and glass artist Michael Powolny (1871-1954) (right). 

Powolny was a craftsman working in clay and glass and created some stunningly beautiful glasswork (for the famous Art Deco Bohemian glass company of Loetz) and worked also in relief. His experience and skills inspiring Maria Delago later to create her often biblically inspired stoneware plaquettes and some very beautiful earthenware pottery.   

In 1928 she studied in Munich “Kunstakademie” with cartoonist Olaf Gulbransson (1873-1958). Gulbransson, a Norwegian, friend of Max Liebermann and a member of the Berlin Secession since 1914 drew since 1902 for the satirical Simplicissimus Magazine. Just Google his name to enjoy his timeless humor and a 100 years later still very modern work. 

His views on how our creator sees upon us (without cloths) and when we have arrived at the end of our earthly time (just potty trained) are food for some serious reflection. 

But Gulbransson besides his satirical work also painted (below), portraits like Hans Holbein (1497-1543) (his wife Grete) and in his very "simple" Spring Landscape shows the origin and influence on Maria Delago's later botanical graphic work. 

She moved to, lived and worked in the city of Bolzana (Bozen) and in the 1930’s lived and worked for while in the Netherlands employed by the “Mosa” ceramics company in Maastricht. In 1948 she returned to her native region (Tirol, Austrian-Italian borderland) and established a studio in Bolzano (Bosen). 

In 1964 she received the “Walther von der Vogelweide”(*) price and was awarded a honorary membership of the “Südtiroler Künstlerbund” in 1968. Known for her delicate floral coloured etchings and ceramic reliefs of biblical themes.  She died of complications caused by a traffic accident.

(*) Walther von der Vogelweide (c.1170- c 1230): Germany's greatest Middle High German lyric Poet. Woodblock print by printmaker Carl Alexander Brendel (1877-1945)

Thank you Lily !

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

Thea Gütmann-Voigt: Laburnum

Thea Gütmann

Personally finding this “Goldregen” print by illusive artist Thea Gütmann-Voigt hidden in an antiques shop in the medieval town of Lemgo near Detmold (province of Lippe, Germany) made my (holi)day. It is the homeland of Ernst Rötteken (1881-1945) one of my favorite printmakers of whom I will show a very rare collection of never before seen prints soon. This is just the second print known to me by Thea Gütmann. And believe me, I looked everywere.  In my early Blogging days I showed this (below) auction catalogue picture “Flieder” or Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) by her.

artist impression

Thea Gütmann-Voigt

What Wisteria was to the Japanese printmakers Laburnum must be for the European. European printmakers tend to choose a more botanical approach when depicting blossoming Laburnum. 

 

Japanese artists (almost all but this print by Kamisaka Sekka (1866 - 1942) show blossoming Wisteria along with birds, buildings and city views. 

Creating a posting on Wisteria and the Japanese woodblock print might prove to be an impossible endeavour because of the countless prints dedicated to this beautiful flowering ornamental shrub.

So let me start showing the examples by European printmakers trying their best at the  European but yellow counterpart: Laburnum, Golden chain (or rain) (Engl.), Goldregen (Germ.), Gouden regen (Dutch),  L’aubour (French). Laburnum the name of the form of woodrot that easily occurs when pruning or cutting this native to Soutern Europe shrub.

H.J. van der Werf
(Dutch  ca. 1930)

Arie Zonneveld
(Dutch 1905-1941)

E. Meinshausen
-Felsing (German)

Ernst Rötteken (German 1882-1945)

Carl Thiemann
(German 1891-1966)

Comparing this last and rare Carl Theodoor Thiemann (1881-1966) composition with Mrs. Gütmann's "Goldregen" one or the other must have had knowledge of the other's work. Thieman made some great flowers prints, in very different styles, but his "Goldregen" came to my knowledge only recently. Mostly and best known for his city views, Venician sailing ships, trees, swans and landscape prints you can look forward to a collection of his lesser known flower prints soon.  


I would very much like to know more of both illusive Thea Gütmann-Voigt as well as Mrs. E. Meinshausen-Felsing, "tätig" (working) in  Kaiserslautern" is all I was able to find besides the bare pictures in the posting following the link. But I'll keep trying.

Closing this thematic posting here’s the nicest of illustrations (although rather   sweet) by British childrens book illustrator Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973)  

E. Meinshausen-Felsing (continued)

E. Meinshausen - Felsing

German woodblock printmaker.

This week Katja left a comment on my posting about E. Meinshausen. A year later (May 25th, 2010) During the period of that year I have found some more prints and even was able to buy one or two, expanding my collection of this printmaker. The artist was her great-grandmother's sister in law. Hopefully Katja can reveal some more details on the life of E. Meinshausen because I haven't become any the wiser. In one year.
I show you the new examples of prints I found over the last year, they regularly show up in auctions. In Germany. But on most occasions I was to late to finding them. Especially this last one, the flower bouquet which I am very sorry to have missed. Maybe it'll show up another time and I'll be more lucky. Maybe someone recognizes it, who knows, and maybe he or she is in for a trade. Visit the first collection of prints by E. Meinshausen-Felsing on this Blog:

http://gerrie-thefriendlyghost.blogspot.com/2010/05/e-meinshausen-felsing.html

PS: this painting in oil by E. Meinshausen (below) now up for sale on Ebay.

g.caspers@hccnet.nl

E. Meinshausen-Felsing

E. Meinshausen-Felsing

(..... - .....)

German painter and woodblock artist

This print is one of the first "Eigene Handdruck", I purchased through Ebay. A spring flowers composition ("Frühlingsblumen").
Sofar I have not been able to find anything at all about this artist. I am not a paying member of any Digital Art(ists) Index. I only have found pictures of oil paintings in older German auction cataloques. "Mixed mediums, combined technics and special Japanese silk papers". All of them show flowers.

"Sonnenblumen"

"Lilliën", holzschnitt

no title

I don't even know if she is German or Austrian. One day, I am sure, facts and more pictures will show up.

And then a few weeks ago I stumbled over this threesome. Offered in one sale ...... Spring is in the air !

They were bought together in Bonn some 40 years ago the seller knew. And again bought together to stay that way! They came in today in stylish original frames and perfect colors, 11 x 26 cm.