Wilhelm Koch: Kreuzkirche in Reichenberg (Liberec)

Koch, Wilhelm 

(24-04-1892 – last mentioned 1962)

In before post my research into this print and its maker that showed up in Ebay recently brought me to Dresden artist Hildegard Koch. I've never come across her name before and I learned, to my surprise, she lived next door to to some well known early women printmakers, even exhibiting with them in Dresden. I do not think Hildegard was into printmaking (there's no proof whatsoever) so I conclude I may have never met her otherwise. A lucky encounter. 

I even had in my pictures archive a (better) picture of another copy of this remarkably good  "Kreuzkirche" print but now titled: "Abenddämmering" (twilight)  

The print shows the "Kreuzkirche" in Reichenberg and is titled "Unterhalb der Kreuzkirche". Reichenberg = Liberec, a small industrial town in Bohemia (now Czech republic), north of Prag, home town of another great printmaker: Carl Johne (1887-1959). It took a while connecting Wilhelm to this particular church but finally we did (thanks again Wolfgang).

Johne, working as a teacher Reichenberg "Knabenschule" (school for boys, below) will no doubt have known the maker of this print: Wilhelm Koch. He also for many years held a position as a teacher in a Reichenberg school. 

Koch was a painter, illustrator and graphic artist. I cannot say he was born in Reichenberg, he is also mentioned living in Achental near Törwang in Upper Bavaria near the Austrian border. But that could also have been after WW2 when all German citizens were forced to leave and expelled. 

Wilhelm Koch: unidentified location.
All suggestions and identification welcomed.

Karl Johne: Römerstadt in central Bohemia (now Czech Republic) 

He studied 1910/12 in Reichenberg at the “Kunstschule des Gewerbe-museums”, which gives reason to believe he was actually from this region. In 1913/14 in Gablonz' (near Liberec) “Kunstgewerbliche Fachschule für Glas und Metall” and 1915/16 at Vienna “Kunstgewerbeschule”(Art and Craft school). In Reichenberg-Liberec he taught for many years (1926-1945) graphics and Arts and Crafts in Reichenberg's “Kreisberufsschule” and is mentioned for his color woodblock prints (only two known).

View on Reichenberg ("Heimat") by Carl Johne.  

He illustrated “Zwischen Himmel und Erde” by Otto Ludwig (1813-1865) and works by  Theodor Storm (1817-1888) an exhibited 1929 in Landesmuseum Stuttgart (see below for Stuttgart). He was als involved in the celebrations with the 100th anniversary of Karl May (1842-1912) in 1942. 

Ferdinand Porsche (Reichenberg 1875-1951 Stuttgart ) was also born in the Reichenberg region, he died in Stuttgart leaving an imperium.  

Wilhelm Koch is not mentioned in Dresslers Kunsthandbuch, but he is Thieme-Becker and in Kürschners Graphiker-Handbuch 1959. 

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

          

Viktor Böhm

Viktor Böhm
(1880 Brno – 1954 München)

Czech/German printmaker and painter.

Sometimes Ebay is like a treasure cove. Finding this extra ordinairy woodblock print asked for an impulsive and immediate posting. It is signed and dated 1925. By a very talented but obscured printmaker. Still 9 days (sorry, it was sold or withdrawn within an hour after editing this article) to go. It’s neither befitting my budget in September nor is it in my field of collecting. So following in the footsteps of (are we just going to miss him) Clive's legendary "to have and to hang": take your chance. It certainly is very special, very rare and of great skill and the highest artistic quality. A little research on the www. resulted in just a few other but quite amazing prints by this Czech born printmaker

It is written that Viktor Böhm studied in the Akademie für Bildende Kunst  both in Vienna and in München where he later settled as an artist. He travelled into Scandinavia, Galicia (N.-Spain), Hungary and Italy.

But how he came to make these Chinese and Russian prints heaven may know. His future biographer will certainly have look deeper into Viktors travelling history account. 

High Lamas calling for prayer, Chambynks-Dazzan, 1918

Small temple at sacred Gooselake Chambynks-Dazzan 1918.

Russian village church, West-Siberia 1914

I found two oil paintings by Viktor Böhm too and that’ s all I could scratch together for this posting.

Shepherd boy with drinking goats

Again, after Karl Johne in a previous posting, a very good but forgotten Czech printmaker.

Karl Johne, Czech (Bohemian) printmaker

Karl Johne

 (Kratzau, Bohemia 1887 – 1959) Czech (Bohemian) painter, graphic and woodcut artist, paintings restauration expert, bookcover and ex-libris designer, book illustrator.

Seeing this long list of skills and occupations together with the fine prints I am sharing with you today it is hard to believe so little, hardly anything, is to be found on the Internet on the life and works of this artist.

Reichenberg, Bohemia

It is thanks to the help of Ingeborg Schwarz born in Maffersdorf but like all German spoken inhabitants expelled after WWII sending me the biographical facts and data and three more examples of prints allowing me to make a beginning with this posting. At last, a first attempt showing the few works I found together, and in some form of context.     

Knabenbürgerschule

Karl Johne descended from a Reichenberg family of teachers and was trained at the Reichenberg Teaching Institution (1907-1912). He later became a teacher in the Marine (Kriegsmarine) and later, from 1912 he taught mathematics and drawing in Reichenberg’s Knabenbürgerschule (High school for boys). To become headmaster of this school between 1936 and 1945. 

Titel unknown

Reichenberg (now Liberec) is situated roughly between Dresden and Prag on the Northern borders of what is now the Czech Republic but was known as Bohemia before 1918.

A very beautiful mountinous and rural area, with many rich and industrious cities, and with long traditions, history and culture. The population mainly German spoken during the centuries the borders of central Europe shifted with time and conflicts. Home of the Sudeten: Sudetenland.

Rauhreif über den Iserbergen

Winter im Isergebirge

Bergwinter

Compare this very similar composition by printer Paul Leschhorn (1876-1952), surely more then a coincidence  although Leschhorn originated from the Alsace.

Paul Leschhorn

Frühlingstag (spring day)

Kratzau marketplace, a book illustration. 

It is known Johne restored over 400 paintings on request of the Governement.

See for more Karl Johne: here, and for more Paul Leschhorn: here

Please feel free sending me more examples to share and in honour of artist Karl Johne.

Thank you Ingeborg Schwarz, Thomas, Charles and Clive.

Schöne Dinge

With todays posting I share with you some very nice prints from the collection and stock of Thomas Treibig from gallery Schöne Dinge ("Beautiful Things") in Berlin. 

Theodor Barth

(1875-1949) 

Swiss painter and printmaker

I could not find much if anything on this artist but this painting (1917) that obviously stood model for the print. A very remarkable, desirable and skilfully executed rare print.

Oscar Droege

(1898-1982)
German printmaker

Two very nice and desirable examples of this most famous and very prolific German printer. He created over a 100 prints. Not all to my taste but these definitely are ! (and comparing recent Ebay prices: affordably priced !)

August Heitmüller

(1873-1935)

German (portrait) painter and woodblock printer

A very remarkable composition and rare print by this painter .

Erich Buchwald-Zinnwald

(1884-1972)

German woodblock printer

See for more prints, details and biography in this printer Clive's Art and the Aesthete. A very desirable alpine landscape. 

Erna Halleur

(? -1940)

German woodblock printer 

Erna Halleur

Martin Erich Philipp

Very rarely prints by this printer are seen on the market (the most recent one was sold at a staggering 360 € + 20% auction fee: approx. $700). This one has some Martin Erich Philipp feel to it and it's big, very sunny in good condition and most of all modestly priced.

Auguste Lind-Graf
(1878-1941)

(Berlin educated and based artist, 
colleague and contemporate of Margarethe Gerhardt)

Auguste Lind-Graf

Karl Johne
German (or Czech) printmaker

Karl Johne  

Frances Gearhardt

Not much is known about this printmaker which is hard to believe seeing this nice landscape so reminding of American printer Frances Gearhardt's (1869-1958) landscapes. Details on Karl Johne's biography and more examples of his prints are very much welcomed (this print however is already sold).

Toshi Yoshida 

(1911-1995)
Japanese woodblock printer 

'Winter" from his series "Birds of the Seasons"
(thank you Klaus !)

Leonard Fanto 

(1874-1958)
Austrian stage and custume designer
and woodblock print maker

Only a handfull of Fanto's woodblock prints are generally seen. This one is great, a very intens portrait. 

Jenny Marion-Roth
(?)

German lithograph printer

 Lithograph
More details on her life and work would be most welcome.


Eva Maria Marcus
(1889-1970)
German, Berlin based, painter and printmaker

This last print from Berlin a stunning and complex flower bouguet. It is not for sale (...) as it belongs to Thomas personal collection. It's one of the nicest flower bouguet prints I've ever seen, rivaling many and even the greatest flower printers in number of colorblocks used and complexity. Below is her Sea Pines in colour. It would be nice to learn of more examples. The Metropolitan Museum in New York has prints by E.M.Marcus in it's collections but sadly no colour pictures are available. 

From Thomas' collection I was allowed sharing these two no doubt rare oil paintings by Eva Marcus. It is known she travelled often to Sweden and I think the second one is showing a typical Swedish coastal scene. Great colours.

Thank you Thomas for making these rare prints available for showing and sharing in the Linosaurus. Most of them are for sale in his gallery "Schöne Dinge" in Berlin. You can contact him for information and questions through his website. 
I have to inform readers that his 3 Eva Roemer prints from last post are since sold. Congratulations to the undoubtedly proud and happy new owner.

Thomas warmly welcomes any offers of work by Eva Maria Marcus.