Hendrik Christiaan Spruit, wayward etcher.

Hendrik Christiaan Spruit
(H.C. Spruit)

(Cilacap-Java 1881 - 1942 the-Hague)

Dutch painter, teacher and grafic artist, 
wayward linoleum-etcher.

For this weekend, after some serious hesitation and as an exception I've decided letting you into a secret with meeting one of my most special and favorite printmakers. But also one of the most forgotten, neglected and obscured artists. Concerning his biography there's nothing much to go on in the public archives but I've decided sharing what I've found and collected so far. Often reactions om postings lead to new material and facts. Let's hope so.

Born in Netherlands Dutch-Indies (Cilacap on the south coast of Java) in 1881 by Dutch parents he returned (in or around 1907) as did probably his parents, to live and work as so many returning ex-colonials in the city of the Hague. Anno 2013 H.C. Spruit I decided is definitely in need of some renewed attention and certainly appraisal.

I was able to trace a Carel Johannes Pieter Spruit (1854 -1949) and his wife Wilhelmina Johanna Reuhl (born 1858) as a constructional military engineer in Java. His parents. The agricultural Spruit family roots and ancestors originating from around the city of Bodegraven near Gouda. H.C.'s grandfather was also a Hendrik Christiaan.

Most of his work is characterized and signed as Linoleum Etchings. I know of only one Dutch artist who tried at this technique also (I'll introduce him in next posting): Dick van Luyn (1896-1981) but never he came close to the stunning results H.C. Spruit was able to achieve with just acid, paper and ink and some flooring material. And a scoop of talent of course.

I have no knowledge of any other artist using or trying this special technique to this scale. And I mean to say: in the whole world. Besides these peculiar and very soft toned etchings H.C. Spruit created several lithographic prints, and I've read about at least one painting in oil. He always signed: H.C. Spruit and often used the monogram HCS

Water lilies in linoleum etchings and in lithographic print (lower).

He married in 1915 Maria Jongman from Vollenhove, the marriage was not a particularly happy one and just one son was born and in the family tradition was named after his grandfather: Carel Johannes Pieter (1918-2010) a biochemist, married to Alida van der Burg (1914-2009). And I know H.C. had a namesake contemporary nephew H.C. Spruit (1875-1952) who was a professional artist sculptor (in Amsterdam), but I haven't been able to trace any examples of his art.

My favorites: highly aesthetic ginger jars with Nasturtiums and Violets, so very and typically Dutch. H.C. Spruit confirming my fascination and admiration for these "classic" combinations. 

I have no idea how many works Hendrik Christaan Spruit created, nor where he was trained. I've collected an odd few over the years (what you see here) but occasionally an unknown and new-to-me, print surfaces. They vary from small to huge, the sunflowers and lily in Japanese vase measure 40 x 50 cm, the sheet 50 x 70 cm. The rather dark and (some say) gloomy appearance is not to everybody's contemporary taste. But I can't help loving them. One of the first prints I started my collecting with was the reddish small blossoming tree print (above). 

I'm convinced the combination of technique used and the medium Linoleum did not allow for printing any substantial editions, the linoleum probably wearing off quickly using the heavy etching press. 

All prints I've seen and examined closely excel however in highest quality and detailing, and the bigger ones have a very rough, shark skin like, surface also proof of the artists high standard limiting the use of the blocks (plates) before they ware off completely and not printing to the bitter end. This collection is probably also proof of combined and his perhaps developping techniques. Sadly H.C. Spruit didn't number or dated his editions, this small landscape (below), one of my latest acquisitions thanks to an observant dealer (thank you Sergei !) is the only exception: not dated but numbered 5/10 confirming very low edition numbers. 

Below: Morning Glories, Prunkwinde, Klimmende Winde, Lat. Ipomoea tricolor:
 prints from lithographic stone (L.) and linoleum etching (R.).

I'm always interested in more and new biographical facts about this wonderful artist, his life and his family as I am of course in acquiring any new prints. For the purpose of swapping over the years I've reserved some very nice extra prints that's why I'ld rather not sell any. Here're the ones I know of and I'ld like to discover and add to my collection one day (following 3 prints below). 

And to my great surprise: just this afternoon I was able to contact his grandson: Prof.Dr. Hendrik Christiaan Spruit  (b.1948) a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) near Munich who was likewise surprised and informed me his grandfather was a teacher at drawing in the Hague: This posting will definitely be continued ! 

  All pictures are mouse-clickable to embiggen.

All pictures (when not from my personal collection) borrowed freely from the internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use. 

Summer dunes: monogram CE

In a recent carboot expedition I found these two small (19 x 27 cm.) oil on board paintings (sketches?). Cleaned and refitted with nice old frames they are now on my wall but would I like to know who was so acquainted with paint to create these summer dune impressions with such ease. The monogram CE on just one of them is the only faint clue and even after some serious investigation I have not the faintest idea about the artist. But who cares ?

Friedli Bendicht

Friedli Bendicht

1930-

Swiss painter and incidental woodblock printmaker

I found these pictures of two small edition woodblock prints in a closed Swiss auction site. Simple yet effective and very charming. I have no idea in which period of his career he created them but I'ld hope (wish) he did (do) some more.

Walther Klemm on Ebay

Walter Klemm

(1883-1957) 

German printmaker

6 Woodblock prints 1922 on Ebay

Six wonderful original and signed bird prints in the Japanese way, amazingly they've never been framed and are still together after 90 years as Book of Birds nr. 38/100. By one of the finest German printmakers. Ending in two days from now. (Sold for only €45 each) 

I still don't understand why certain offers on international Ebay do not seem to appear in my national search queries. This is one of them: I  just happened to stumble upon it. The last three are hardly ever seen "on line". This a good opportunity to help remember me to plan a posting on Klemm's other bird prints soonest. 

Lina Ammer, painter & printmaker

Lina (Karolina) Ammer

maybe ! (Landau 1866-1933 Ering) 

German painter and printmaker 

Publishing this tribute to painter and printmaker Karolina or Lina Ammer (her cartouche-monogram is LA) maybe one day will help solving the mystery about her biography, or rather the absence of it. This obituary (right)  is maybe fitting "our" Lina Ammer according to which she died as a pensioner (without kin ?) and after a miserable last period. 

Lina Ammer was a teacher at the Regensburg Sankt Mariën Lyzeum für Englische Fräulein (St. Marie's school for English ladies) esth. in 1903 (left). It was founded and teaches after the principles of the English nun and founding sister Mary Ward (1585-1645) (read here*) 





Real and not armchair and web-based research will have to confirm the artist belonging to the obituary datings because her year of birth is also "mentioned" as 1871 and her death as 1935. Maybe also one day this posting will lead me to the highest ranking illusive parrot print on my wishlist. 

Sources indicate Landau is the city were she was born, Regensburg on river Donau were she taught at school and started and lead a private painting school for ladies from the late 1890's and Ering (near the Austrian border) the site were she (may have) died. These places are all situated in the south east of Germany (Bavaria) and not far, a crows flight, apart. Left a Regensburg painting by artist Hedwig Reisinger 1904-1998, below a contemporary panorama.

She is said to have studied in München's Kunst und Gewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts school) under Heinrich Stelzner (1833-1910), Anton Azbe (1862-1905), Bernard Buttersack (1858-1925) and Guido Joseph Kern (1878-1953). I give as many clues to ensure further possible future additions by readers. 

Seeing these works (and it has taken me quite some time finding, excavating and collecting them) it is again sad and bewildering so little is known and delivered to us. Not only about Lina Ammer's life but on so many other wonderful artists, lesser Gods and Goddesses of painting and printmaking. The wonderful blue parrots once were auctioned in the US: see below for a quick genealogical survey on the Ammer family and maybe how it came to be in America.

   

In one occasion I've found her name as an illustrator for a 1900 Regensburg history book. The name of only one Regensburg private student of Lina Ammer, who studied with her for 8 years, emerged from the internet: Gabriëlle Greger (1901-1982): no examples.

These two oil paintings, found in old auction catalogues, by Lina Ammer closing this posting on this artist and sharing all I have been able to trace on her life and her works. Hopefully the force of the Internet and help from readers will help changing this in near future.

Added print 24th april 2013

Notice: As I've experienced some of these postings, or the contents are obviously "used" as reference by third parties (and I do not blame them) I've added this last find, (from Ebay) April 24th. It has been enhanced and straightened just a little (you may object and complain) because of foxing, folds and creases in the original. But since comments are really scarce I'm confident it will be accepted silently and with gratitude.    

All pictures are mouse clickable to embiggen and

borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly, educational and non-comercial use only.
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Some genealogical notes on a Bavarian Ammer family and the USA.

On the 6th of october 1908 one Lina Ammer (aged 40, so born around 1868) visited America travelling in the Norddeutsche Lloyd ocean steamer SS Rhein from Bremen and passed Ellis Island. The mentioned village of "Spperhofen" sadly doesn't ring any bell: it is probably misspelled. Maybe a certain Bavarian reader can help.

Years before all but two children of the Bavarian familie of Ludwig Gerstbrein (1834-1880) and Magdalena Leightinger: Alois, Otto, Theresa, Ludwig, Georg and Heinrich, all emigrated into the USA and to Pittsburg. After Ludwig died the widowed Magdalena followed her children in 1896 aged 60. She died in Pittsburg 1910. The family originated from small villages like Kimoden, Straubing, Hirschkofen, Metting all in a small circle in Bavaria. Magdalena travelled with SS Lahn from Bremen through Southampton. 

But two other sisters are said to have stayed in Germany: Maria (1863-1942) who married Xaver Ammer (1860-1939) and one Carolina Lena (with both names mentioned) said to have been married to an Ammer as well. Xaver Ammer was the son of Jacob Ammer (1830-1908) and Anna Wurm (1835-1898) from Metting Bavaria.

There is a possibility Lina Ammer actually is Lina Gerstbrein maybe visiting her brothers sisters and her mother Magdalena in 1908. 

Xaver Ammer and Maria Gertsbrein had 12 children, among them a Lina Ammer (1894-1961) who later also emigrated to the USA. She would/could have been Lina's namesake niece (after Magdalena) aged 14 in 1908. One of their other children was named Crescentia, probably after grandmother Magdalena's sister: Crescentia Leihtinger (1823-1901) and spelled without the h, who emigrated a generation before to Wisconsin USA. Family members travelled back and forth to Germany like brother Ludwig jr. marrying in Bavaria before returning to his home in the States. Others came back to die and be burried and in the motherland.  

Gertrud Fredrich, Berlin printmaker

Gertrud Fredrich

(Lissa-Posen 1874 - 1963 probably in Berlin)

German painter and printmaker

Gertrud Fredrich was trained in the Berlin Kunstschule and later was a student of the great Lovis Corinth (1857-1925) (left). She was a member of the Berlin Women Artist Association (Verein der Berliner Künstlerinnen) 1915-1963 and exhibited in Berlin all her life.

She's mainly known for her paintings, flower pieces (Corinth inspired also Else Schmiedeberg (1876-1927) with his love for painting flowers) and landscapes.

We know Fredrich tried at woodblock printing at least twice because this print, send by reader Karen, was found in America (see here*). It is probably showing the Ammersee in the south of Germany because the painting above by her is titled as such. Just one more print (left) I've found in a passed auction. Another contemporary painter printmaker with ties to Lovis Corinth and the VdBK was Eva Maria Marcus (1889-1970) treated and appearing earlier in this Blog.

Gertrud Friedrich is another example to show how little we know about the life of so many talented printmaking artists who were active in the 1900-1930's. Do not hesitate sending additions and possibly more examples of Gertrud Fredrich's art. 

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

Christa von Lettow-Vorbeck, un-obscuring a printmaker

Christa von Lettow-Vorbeck

(1881 - 1945)

German (Berlin) painter, illustrator and printmaker
sister of Paul: the Africa General.

I discovered this “Bend in a country road” in a Dutch internet advertising-auction site (see below). It was sitting there for a considerable time (unsold offers running out only after months) until, after some friendly negotiating, I decided to buy it. This posting exclusively revealing the woodblock prints created by this Berlin printmaker and showing them for the first time together.    

Researching the www. brought nothing much to light but directed me to a local Berlin museum which had catalogued, along with my "Bend in the road", some more examples of her woodblock prints. They were, on my request photographed and send to me thanks to the friendly help of Ulrich Roeske from Heimatverein Steglitz Museum.

My copy of the transcendent “Käthe, Paula und der ganze Rest” (see below) learning she was educated in Berlin and Paris (although I could not find where) and was a member of the Berlin Women Artists Association (Verein der Berliner Künstlerinnen, VdBK) 1924-1942 mentioned as a painter and illustrator exhibiting regularly over those years.

Just this one other, outside the museum and auctioned in 2012, print (below) I was able to locate. A coach or cariage passing by a gate building.

Other then she was born in an old Prusian nobility and military family which saw many high ranking officers  (generals) nothing much was found concerning her biography. Besides mentioning she was the younger sister of Afrika General Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (1870-1964) perhaps the most famous member of his family.

He was an interesting character indeed. Serving in German East Africa he became a WWI hero, honoured and respected on both sides never to have lost a single battle or engagement with the (British) enemy while leading a rag tag and improvised querilla army consisting of just few trained German soldiers, native (Askari) and women fighters. Hearing the news the war was ended two weeks after he came out of jungle and surrendered with honor.

And here are the three examples, the only ones I was able to find, of Christa's oil paintings. 

“Käthe, Paula und der ganze Rest”: a reference (pocket)book on the history of the VdBK (ISBN 3 89181 411 9). Danke Thomas (Galerie Schöne Dinge Berlin)

Grafiekkabinet: dealers in graphic art on: Marktplaats ("Dutch Ebay") 

Marktplaats: Dutch Ebay owned advertising-auction site. Go to: http://www.marktplaats.nl Type: grafiekkabinet and mark the little box below. Or Google: grafiekkabinet + marktplaats and chose picture search. This will deliver most offers also.

Steglitz Museum Berlin, Heimatverein: http://www.steglitz-museum.de/der_verein.php

Read some very intersting history here: Paul Emil Lettow-Vorbeck:

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