Hildegard Eichwede: Hamburg Uhlenhorst Gaswerke

Hildegard Eichwede 
(prob. b. Hannover ar.1880 ? - ?) 

(painter,  printmaker)

"Hamburg Barmbek  

Uhlenhorst Gaswerke"

Hildegard Eichwede (Barmbek Gaswerke in Hamburg) 

This print is being offered in the respected Frankfurt Gallerie Joseph Fach, known for its remarkable collection of very fine prints. The price of € 1250 is suggesting it is of extreme quality and/or importance, which it possibly is. It came to my knowledge some time ago and I tried to find out more about this print + the artist. Would I have it to my collection of German women printmakers ? Yes of course. But I'm not a masochist believing it ever will, just cannot afford. I suggest this print should be in the collections of the Hamburgs Kunsthalle. Unobtainable as it may be the most interesting part for me and my research is the artist being completely unknown. She is not known by any other work nor is there any biographic link to be found. Sadly Hildegard has not left a clue or a date on her print. The Barmbek Gaswerke were in function from the 1870's until the 1960's.  I suggest it was created around 1910.   

It reminded me technically (probably by the use of mainly gray and the similar  perspective, and probably because it was created by an artist related with Hamburg) of Agnes Salomon's Brussels Boulevard Vaugirard print (see posting here* ) or follow the label attached to this posting. For a long time Agnes graphic history consisted of just one print, untill my research disclosed a second one. Agnes probably gave up her artistic career after marriage and dedicated her life to motherhood. Could this hint at a shared faith (motherhood), could their prints point to at a mutual teacher ? And who would/could that possibly be ?. We know Agnes attended Munich graphic classes and also went to Paris and although I have a suggestion I will keep the name for later or to the serious researcher who may stumble over this posting and offers to help to identify Hildegard Eichwede.     

Agnes Salomon: Boulevard Vaugirard.

Besides, we peddled the Barmbek canal that is joined to the Alster basin visiting our son Paul and his Anne Maartje who are living and working nearby in this great city. Today hardly anything is reminding of this site once so important to the people and industries of Hamburg. The whole area is turned into very green and pleasant to live in communities.   

Hildegard Eichwede no doubt will prove to be a member of the Eichwede family from Hannover. Descending from the co-founder and later owners of the famous Bernstorff & Eichwede "Hoffbronze-giesserei" which existed until 1873 before it was taken over: Friedrich Wilhelm Eichwede (sometimes mentioned Ferdinand) (1791-1822) who was born in Berlin but married the daughter of Hannover Johann Friedrich Bernstorff (1766-1809) the original founding father, and started the Hannover Eichwede dynasty. 

I tried to tie Hildegard to this family but so far I did not succeed. Here's what I did find out in a nutshell. Hopefully a reader (who now must pass the despicable Google Warning System for which I feel deeply embarrassed and offer my sincere apologies)  will come to aid. 

Friedrich was succeeded as director by his son Wilhelm Christian Eduard Eichwede (1818-1890) but with him the connection to the next generation  of Hannover family members came to a halt. I did not find the name of his wife, nor of any brothers or sisters. 

He is probably the father of more then one son because from the mid 1800's  a Heinrich, Eduard and Ernst Eichwede all from Hannover can be found holding several industrial patents.

The most promising link might be to the family of Hannover architect Christian Hubert Julius Eichwede (1853-1936) who was the father of an important but short lived Hannover architect Ferdinand Eichwede (1878-1909) who was the father of concert pianist Ingrid Eichwede (b. 1905) married to Jewish composer Hans Heller (captured, and later killed, in Paris 1940 by the occupying Germans). After hiding she managed to escape with their son Peter (1929-2002) to America, Peter was also a painter. 

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And then there's the history of artist Gisela Lusser-Sautter (Posen 1914 - after 2009). Read the interview following the link.

In an interview she told of receiving painting lessons from “her mother and her sister Tante Marie Eichwede (Posen 1875-1944) who were both painters". She appeared to be the daughter of Dr. Julius Sautter(b. 1878 - after 1939). Could her mother have been  Hildegard Eichwede ? Dr. Julius Sautter is mentioned as  “Oberlandesgerichtsrat” a judge in the town of Celle (1923-1939) and relieved from his duties because of not being co-operative enough (not a faithful German) with the Nazi regime.  Celle is situated just some 20km. north-east of Hannover. 

In 1948 Gisela married Ir. Robert Lusser (1899-1969) a famous inventor and engineer who lost his first wife in allied bombing of their house that may have been directly aimed at him. See his interesting Wikipedia entry here*

Marie Eichwede (1875-1944) is mentioned as "Malerin" (painter) in Dresslers Kunsthandbuch 1921 living in Hannover and likewise in 1930 but also mentioned as "Kunstgewerblerin" (Arts & Crafts artist). 

All clues and information about "who was and what happened to Hildegard Eichwede" are very much welcomed and will be treated with all respect.

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

  

This extraordinary print is for sale at Gallerie Joseph Fach Frankfurt 

     

Linosaurus ALMOST extinct

Rectification 

Linosaurus almost extinct

I am confused, pleasantly surprised and humbled by the many supporting emails and comments I received (and still am receiving) after writing the obituary for the Linosaurus blog. Thank you. 

Although still extremely disappointed and annoyed by such ignorance and arrogance I also noticed: a great many readers obviously took the hurdle of the "Beware this site with objectionable contents" button installed by an anonymous and coward reader who did not have the guts to address to me personally and tell me wat his/hers problem were. A policy Google suggests btw. but obviously does not follow up.  

After multiple requests to please not to delete old posts, I of course decided not to take the Blogs contents "down". Directly.  

I have invested 10 years of my life in this Blog as in both books describing my  exceptional collection of prints (richly illustrations and with comments) as well as the second book containing the many hundreds of short biographies dedicated to the obscured German (speaking) women woodblock printmaking artist (were born in the 19th century) and the connections with their teachers, academies, galleries, colleagues and friends accompanied by their Baltic, Scandinavian, Dutch, Hungarian and Russian sisters and colleagues.

Besides I thin I need this platform in the near future to announce the publication for those most interested, the Blog readers. Even if I put it to rest for a while recovering from yesterdays silly, shameful and painful events.

Thank you for your sympathy and support.           

Linosaurus extinct

First and most of all I apologise for any inconvenience your visit to this humble Art Blog may recently have caused now it has been degraded by Google Law to the levels of visiting a porn site.

What has happened ?

Obviously some sad and frustrated individual has complained about the contents of this Blog. It happened shortly after showing a picture of an Arts & Crafts woodcarving that has since long been in my possession: mating storks that thanks to Google are now considered "pictures of a certain, inappropriate, objectional and explicit nature".
  

The mating storks symbolise the coming of spring and new life. 

(in many civilised and freed communities, liberated of stupid dogmas and blind puritanism)

In almost 10 years the Blog existed it saw over 900.000 page-views from all parts of the Planet. I was looking forward too greet the one Million'th visitor. Maintaining a blog about art, aesthetics and beauty I've never seen or heard any (not one) complaint. It received thousands of friendly and thankful comments and emails. And not to forget: through Blogging I made some dear and life time friends.   

So please allow me to correct and update the picture that probably was the cause of this situation. I think complaints based on puritan and backward standards like here, are even laughed at in the caliphate. Storks also mate and are welcomed as bringers of spring even deep in Syria and Irak.  

To be honest: I really do not understand Googles "policy": there has never been a complaint, no consultation, no message or notice of any kind. Whatso-ever. Nor does Google offer an opportunity to inquire, of hearing the other side, of explaining or ask for a revision. It simply stigmatizes with the click of  a button.   

Co-incidance ? This morning newspaper cartoon 

After some serious thoughts and considerations I decided the time has come to close the Blog and stop it. How can I be related to the "dirty pictures and obscene websites" Google has now associated me with. For my family, my granddaughters who now must ask permission and consent from their parents to see what "Opa" (granddad) may have shared and written. Besides, thanks to Googles' "Policy and Warning" visitor numbers seem to have almost come to a halt recently. So why bother to continue ? 

Those that count will know how to reach me. The research and the planned publications will continue of course. I plan to remove all (650) postings from the Internet in coming weeks beginning with the oldest. Allowing some time if there's anything you might want to look up or save.      

Thank you for all your support, all send information about forgotten and obscured painters and printmakers and all dear comments left on the postings. It has been a great journey and experience. 

So long, all the best !

Suiseki or the Japanese art of stone appreciation

Suiseki  水石

Sansui Keiseki

The meaning of appreciating a landscape shaped stone.

"It is not a silly thing at all to enjoy a stone in a tray. I see the whole world in a tiny stone. Some objects in this world are huge, and others are small, and they come in all shapes, but they are not that different when you look at their essence" (Hideo Marushima (b. 1934 -).

New Home for a million year old stone.

(with a natural image resembling a pine tree on a hill or mountain)

When I found this mysterious almost 3 Kg. green and orange stone (18 x 15 x 10 cm) with a flat bottom this morning in car boot who would have thought I would that same day be reading and learning about Japanese Empress Suiko who lived and reigned AD. 554-826 who received objects like this as precious gifts from Chinese visiting rulers: naturally formed stones resembling landscapes (or animals). 

And that i would read about Jade, because that is what the stone is made of: nephrite or jadeite: Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅₂ and about Japanese culture and about Zen. The specifique colours and structure of the stone probably make it possible to pin point its origin. It can be seen the stone has been carefully preserved: small natural cracks or veins (impurities ?) have been filled with a perfectly matching orange substance only visible with a magnifying glass.   

Since Empress Suiko's times landscapes stones have been assimilated in Japanese culture: Bonzai stones, philosophers stones. Placed in a bowl of water, or in a pottery bowl filled with sand, or resting in an individually carved wooden "daiza" which is a special and honourable Japanese arts & crafts profession.

It would go too far and beyond the intention of this humble Blog to publish an essay on Suiseki history or on daiza carving. The interested reader or visitor can find all what there is to know in the Internet. All about this mysterious and simple world of

 enjoying what was already there. 

Which is of of course: the perfect synonym for:

Happines. 

How did this ancient stone travel from Japan (Korea or China) to the Netherlands? Where did stay and rest and with whom? Who appreciated it probably many generations before our times? Which river polished it for probably hundreds of thousands of years rolling it slowly towards the ocean? Who picked it up and where is its Daiza (companion pedestal)? Did I find the stone or did the stone find me 

Obviously the stone already woke the philosopher in me. 

If you think you may have an answer to one of the above questions: please email.

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

           

Happy Easter

Happy Easter and Greetings 

from Friesland

2019 

"Different" woodblock by unknown Frisian artist with monogram 
S.J.H. 
(or possibly Sj.H.) 

Alice Munsell

Alice Munsell (Muntell)

 Note: December 2023 and 4 years after publication of this post part of the puzzle, the name of the artist (Munsell not Muntell) was solved with the help of a reader. 

Not her identity. She could be related to American painter, art educator and colour theorist 

Albert Henry Munsell (1858-1918).  She is not one of his 4 daughters.  

This small (12 x 15 cm.) lithographically printed red pencil or red chalk drawing of a reading women in Victorian dress, comfortably propped up by several pillows, was recently found as local car boot loot. No TV, no cell phone, no "social media" (I fail to understand the meaning of the word" social" in this context, creating obviously rather anti-social behaviour in recent generations). 

It was printed on older (19. century) paper (with a regular grid visible) and in the margin someone scribbled a name. A nice drawing, and a nice puzzle.   

All help to identify the (supposedly) artist (the name mentioned could of course also refer to the sitter), would be very welcomed. 

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Post Script 

Dec. 2023: The drawing was published as an illustration in 1900 in "the Dome" which existed for only 3 years (1897-1900) with another drawing by Alice's hand. Who wrote her name on my lithographically printed copy is unknown. 

Gijsbertus Jan van Koppenhagen

Gijsbertus Jan van Koppenhagen 

(the Hague 1909 - 1977 the Hague)

Dutch graphic artist and academy teacher 

Although he taught for 40 years at the Hague Art Academy (Akademie voor Beeldende Kunsten), after studying there 1927-1931, my research into the biography of this hardly known Dutch printmaker delivered hardly any facts. No direct links (parents) to his family that seems to originate mainly from the Arnhem region. The use of first name Gijsbert in this family dates back for centuries. (He is also known as Gijs van K. or Bert van K.)  

This print titled "Hengelaartje" (fisherman) dated 1931 so in the year he graduated from his training and printed on thin Japan paper, is stylishly somewhat reminding of prints by better known printmaker Dirk Hidde Nijland. It popped up in a local sale recently. 

Van Koppenhagen later (from the 1960's ?) seems to have turned his interest and style to abstract geometric compositions executed in linocut print of which I found several in the internet.  

He married in 1935 Meintje (Hermine Wilhelmina) de Wolff who was born in Tegal (Java) in Indonesia in 1911. She had been also a student in the Hague Academy and is said to have worked in her native Tegal too. She is known as painter and sculptrice. As an artist she also remains very obscured: no genealogical or biographical data and hardly any examples (below, attributed to her) of her work. Both artists were member of the Hague artist association "Pulchri Studio".

Begonia's and tabacco plant 

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

All further information would be very welcomed.