Monday 3 April 2017

Käthe Kuntze: Forgotten Dresden artist (Part 2)

After last posts introduction I shall continue with sharing what I came to know about Dresden artist Käthe Kuntze. Her short-biography is one of the 400 I composed and will be revealed in an upcoming publication. Käthe was until recently represented in my artists archive files with only one print offered in Frankfurt Fachs Galery 2012 catalogue. Recently however I was able to acquire an artists "port folio" or rather a bunch of "mixed material" (german: "Konvolut") which, so it strongly seems, once belonged to Käthe: etchings, lithographic and pencil drawings, sketches, posters and woodblock prints. It also contained several works by fellow Dresden "Künstlergruppe Chemnitz" artists. It was found in a house clearing in Hamburg and I will share its contents, which I think might be of considerable art historic significance in a series of blog articles. 



According to this large Jugenstil document found in the bundle Käthe (31) took part in a nearby (local) 1909 Arts and Crafts exposition (may 22th - june 28th) winning a bronze medal with an oil painting. Her address: Hohenzollernstrasse (later renamed Obere Bergweg 14), where a house was build by her father. She still lived there in 1930.




The official and beautifully decorated document as well as the exhibitions posters and logo were designed by Swedish illustrator and graphic artist Carl Andreas Lindeberg (1876-1961) who lived 1907-1945 nearby in “Villa Lindeberg” in Radebeul neighbouring “Villa Shatterhand” owned by writer Karl May (1842-1912). 





May's villa "Shatterhand" is left (arrow) and Lindeberg's home is right (arrow). The star in the background points to Bilz Sanatorium which was Käthe's grandfather Albert's view from the back garden and villa (a palace) Haus Albertsberg, later owned by her aunt Thekla. 




All her family (next posting) lived in these hills seen in the background and we'll meet them in next posting. Lindeberg gained worldfame for his illustrations of Karl May’s books of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand.



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Please send any information on Käthe Kuntze for sharing. 

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

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