Max Kahlke: Frisian and Schleswig coast

Kahlke, Max

(Glückstadt  13-01-1892 – 28-02-1928 Kiel) 

Painter and graphic artist. 

Kahlke's rendering of "Clouds, Sea, Tide and Space". And a much treasured print by my favorite but much obscured and neglected Dutch printmaker: Louis Haver (1906-1969).

Max Kahlke was the son of Jacob Kahlke (1866-1935) and Minna Raave (1869-1964). He was born on the banks of the Elbe estuary in the small village of Glückstadt ones important for its herring ("matjes") fishery. 

He studied 1911-12 in Stuttgart “Akademie für bildende Künste” with Robert Poetzelberger (1856-1930) and 1912-14 in Weimar “Großherzoglich-Sächsiche Kunstschule” with Fritz Mackensen (1866-1953). But according his own words he did not think very highly of his academical training but being mostly inspired and influenced by Tirol painter Albin Egger-Lienz (1868-1926). Albin Legger taught in Weimar 1912-13 after being denied a professorship in Munich Academy in 1910 because of a Kaiser  displeasing painting.... 

Sea and Clouds 

He was a member of the “Schlewig-Holsteinische Kunstgenossenschaft” and the “Hamburger Künstlerverein von 1832”. In WWI he fought as a soldier in Flanders, was wounded and treated for many months in field hospitals. 

Friedrich Lissmann, Sea & Tirns. 

Kahlke's fascinating for this landscape reminds me of Bremen born Friedrich Lissmann (1880-1915) he fought in the trenches too but did not return from Flanders Fields. I shared my admiration for Lissmann in this Blog 6 years ago here* and here*.

A photograph of a farmhouse seen through wind battered trees on Island Ameland (Neth.), much like in Kahlke's print. 

A print I showed many years ago here*

Short lived Kahlke, he only reached 36, is known and reminded for his portraits, moor landscape paintings and religious work for Schleswig churches but to me his woodcuts showing the North German coastal and tidal Wadden-sea landscapes are the most interesting works he created. His work is collected in several North German Museums: Altona-Hamburg, Flensburg, Glückstadt, Itzehoe and Schleswig Museums. 

And here's a photograph I took only last week on Island Ameland. Nord-Friesland (Germ.) near the Danish border and my Friesland (Neth.) aren't that far apart. There are 100 years and some 150 miles (as the crow flies) between both observations in this beautiful (World Heritage) part of the world. 

Tönning in Nord-Friesland (Ger.) a small village until the 1970's important for crab fishing. 

Do not hesitate sending me more examples of Kahlke's work for sharing in this Blog.

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

Louis Haver, another forgotten printmaker (part I)

Lodewijk Bernardus Franciscus Haver

Known as Louis (or Lou) Haver

(Groningen December 13^th 1906 – July 21th 1969 Hilversum)

Largely forgotten and neglected Dutch painter and printmaker.

To me Louis Haver is one of the most charming although very much obscured Dutch printmakers and I have been planning for some time to investigate his life and give him the attention he deserves. The discovery of this latest print is a good opportunity for sharing my first results. The print depicts a typical “viskaar” or traditional fish-well. A fishermen's contraption to keep alive the catch of the day.

  

Unlike his contemporary Arie Zonneveld (1905-1941) Louis, or Lou, never grew to great popularity or fame and to this day his name is only remembered by a few gourmet print collectors. Although over the years many (some 75) prints came to my knowledge they hardly ever turn up in auctions, which might be an indication of low edition numbers. Most of them have not edition  numbered but a few have. 

To illustrate his obscurity and "unknownness": one of his finest prints is shown in the great book “die Fruhzeit des Modernen Holzschnitts” (that I've discussed in the Blog before). It is in the vast museum collection of well known print collectors Hans and Franz Joseph van der Grinten, but even so in the book it is attributed to a phantasy “Louis Han”. It probably is showing the "Noorderhaven", the "Hooge der A" or adjacent canal in his native Groningen in winter. I used to drive by this location for many years to the University (UMCG) Clinic. This print is very similar in execution to the above which, because of it's subject, it was most probably created in Kortenhoef.  

Viskaar near Kortenhoef by Aris Knikker (1887-1962) 

Viskaar near Kortenhoef by Bernard van Beek (1875-1941)

Viskaar near Kortenhoef by Greetje Mesdag-van Calcar who build
and owned the studio that later became Louis' home in 1960.

Louis was the youngest son of sculptor Wilhelmus Antonius Theodorus (or Wim) Haver (1870-1937) and Geertje Meierdres (1870-1946) and after being taught by his father young Louis visited the Arts and Crafts School in Groningen.

His father created the sculpture over the entrance of the Catholic Hospital on the “Verlengde Herenweg” in Groningen (above) Where I was robbed of both my tonsils in the late 1950’s by the way. A very traumatic experience.

Kortenhoef by Bernard van Beek (1874-1941) 

Aged 27 Louis decided to settle in the picturesque rural village of Kortenhoef in 1933 in the Province of Utrecht, at the time a popular painters centre. In 1935 he married Frederike Burgwal (1899- 1967) and was probably living and working as an artist in Kortenhoef. It is known he shared studio’s and exhibited in an artist centre that were created by fellow artists Flip Hamers (1909-1995) and Peter van den Braken (1896-1979). The couple had three daughters. 

View on Kortenhoef by Paul Gabriël (1828-1903) 

In Kortenhoef, in the middle of a typical Dutch “polder” landscape, in the beginning of the 19^th century famous Dutch artists like Paul Gabriel (1828-1903) visited for inspiration and to paint and over the years an artist colony developed. In 1904 the widowed painter Geesje Mesdag-van Calcar (1850-1936) and pupil of Paul Gabriel had build a privat studio to accommodate her in summer. 

"De Karekiet" (build in 1904) in 1964

This wooden studio, build on wooden poles over the water, was to become the meeting point for many artists but after the widow Mesdag had died it was sold and transformed into a youth hostel, named “de Karekiet” (the Reed-warbler)  

Geesje Mesdag was married to banker’s son Taco Mesdag (1829-1902), the brother of famous marine and Panorama Mesdag painter Hendrik Willem Mesdag (1831-1915) both also from Groningen. In 1903 she donated their important and precious collection of Dutch Impressionist (“The Hague School“) paintings to the Groningen Museum to form to this day a significant and most important lump of its collections.   

From a close friend of the artist I learned Louis’ marriage ended in divorce in 1959 and meeting  youth-hostel “mother” Maartje Hopman (born Rotterdam, june 13^th 1913) he fell in love, and married her in 1960 moving in to stay. From the friend I learned also about his love for nature and sea-fishing, receiving several private photographs like the one above.

All Louis' prints show his love for the outdoors, the wildlife, birds, fish, wild flowers etc. They all show a simple and straightforward approach. His bird observations and prints  resemble closely those made by German printmaker Emil Pottner (1872-1942). 

Emil Pottner 

And his boats those by Daniel Staschsus (1872-1953), always with keen  observation and attention for detail, atmosphere and animal behavior. 

Louis Haver 

Daniël Staschus

Please leave a comment and let me know if an additional posting with more examples of Louis' prints would be appreciated.  

A special thanks to Rob de Mooij for sharing pictures from his collection and Ina de Graaf for sending biographical comments. 

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