Paul Berger Bergner: Dore Hoyer

Paul Berger Bergner

(Prag 10-02-1904 - 18-07-1978 Mannheim 

German expressionist painter, etcher and printmaker 

Reader Archimandrill (again) solved the mystery printmaker in before posting. Thank you ! Here are some of the things I've assembled trying to understand the times, people and circles to place Steven's woodcut portrait of Dore Hoyer. 

Paul Berger Bergner was born in Prag as son of Paul Bergner and his wife Maria Tadler. Paul sr. was a restaurator and later the museum director of the Rudolfinum the famous Museum building, Concert Hall and House of Parliament from 1918-1939 in Prag overlooking river Moldau. 

When his father died young Paul Jr. went to study in the painting studio of the  porcelain factory in Schlackenwirth near Karlsbad (Karlovi Vary) and later with Walter Klemm (1883-1957). Klemm had started with his friend Carl Thiemann (1881-1966) a studio in Prag in 1908. Both men were born in Karlsbad by the way. Klemm had been taught by Emil Orlik (1870-1932) and later in Vienna by Kolo Moser (1868-1918). He was appointed professor in Berlin in 1910.

In 1925 Paul entered the Art Academy in Dresden (connection with Dore Hoyer ) to study with painter Robert Sterl (1867-1932). His studio and most of his work was lost in the anglo-american destruction of Dresden in 1945. The same faith struck his friend artist printmaker Maj Hemberg (1906-1992).

After the war he moved to Mannheim and became a painting teacher at Mannheim "Fach-hochschule" to become its director in 1957. He had a relationship with Thea Piekara and they had a son Paul who was born in 1939. 

Paul Berger Bergner's etched portrait of Josef Paul Hodin (Prag 1905 - 1995 London) a famous aesthete and art critic (Tate Museum) who'd fled to London in 1944. Hodin was about the same age as Paul and also born in Prag. 

Portraits of Josef Hodin by Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) from a Prag family and who'd recovered in Dresden meeting expressionist circles after WW1 (left) and Ulli Nimptsch RA (1897-1977) (right) a German sculptor-painter who'd emigrated to London before WW2. He'd studied in Berlin Arts and Craft School for applied arts in Berlin 1915-1917. 

This posting now becoming a "who is who" in Expressionism: Nimptsch by Kokoschka.

And a book by Josef Paul Hodin on Paul Berger-Bergner  

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