Walter Helfenbein: Birds from Dresden Zoo

Walter Helfenbein

(1893-1984)

German graphic artist, 
 woodblock printmaker, lithographer, ex-libris maker and etcher. 

Helfenbein started his career as a self taught artist but later was a student at the Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts School) in Dresden.

In the past year or so several bird prints printed "a la manière de" Martin Erich Philipp (1887-1978) surfaced and have been auctioned and sold in German Ebay. There's no doubt he was more then just inspired by but learned the art (craft) from MEPH. When I saw the first one I even was under the impression Philipp may have created prints under a pseudonym. 

Maybe Walter was a close friend or they've met in the Arts and Craft School or possibly even at Dresden Zoo's Aviary where Helfenbein choose probably the same (group of) birds, in several of his prints like the above "Kardinäle" and "Webervögel" (Cardinals and Weaverbirds) but on the other hand Helfenbein was even more attracted to the more spectacular and extremely feathered species in Dresden Zoo Aviary. 

Besides their love for birds both men shared their skills as animal sketchers, and both were drawn towards drawing, etching the female nude in all glory as they were drawn towards printing erotic, you may say slightly pornographic scenes. In the end Helfenbein was best remembered for the numerous ex-libris he created. I will show examples of Helfenbein's other graphic work in a following posting.  

A species of Fork Tailed Hummingbird (Kolibri)

A species of Paradise Bird (Paradiesvogel)

"Prachtdrossel" (Pitta or Passerine bird) 

"Weidehopf" (Hoopu)

Comparing these birdprints I believe MEPH was the more artistic and original printmaker but technically their skills matched. Even Philipps wife Else Staps (I have no biographical data) joined the men in the Aviary and created several bird prints in her husbands specific style. I must remember to look up the species she choose one day. Although the birds look exotic the flowering trees seem to be "ordinary" Forsytia and a blossoming apple-tree (?) 

Else Staps also choose "common" birds from her garden, like her husband did, and printed this lovely titmouse with rose-hips in winter from 5 or 6 blocks. 

All pictures borrowed freely from the www for educational and non commercial use only.  

Martin Erich Philipp und Else Staps

Martin Erich Philipp

 (Zwickau 1887 - 1978 Dresden)

&

Else Staps

( ? )

"Damen Akt mit Aras". (Nude with parrots) 1907

On my Odyssey through the land of printmaking and printmakers, educating myself along the voyage I’ve wanted to write this posting for some time but found it difficult to start. Without research on the spot or in museum archives it is very hard to scratch enough facts together making an article worthwhile.  Most of the knowledge about printmakers, with the exception of maybe the most famous, is privatly owned and held anyway. Some good Blogs bringing together and accumulating bits and pieces. Everything helps. So here goes. 

Being busy assembling my personal catalogue (page button above) of Martin Erich Philipp’s color prints with good quality pictures from the www I’ve stumbled over some items that made me wonder and think.

This pastel above showing young Martins skills at sketching and dated 1906 is among the earliest examples I could find. Sketching the Castle Schönfels in his native Zwickau. Restored, stirred by two great wars but not shaken, hardly changed and still very beautiful a 100 years later.
  

Martin’s career start has been documented as “freischaffend Künstler zeit 1913” (independent artist from 1913) after his training in Dresden’s "Kunstgewerbe (Arts and Crafts) Schule" (1904-1907) were he was to become a sculptor at first and later at the "Kunstakademie" 1908-1913 changing his destination towards printmaking. Thankfully.  

His first 7 woodblock prints are dated in Götzes' Werkverzeichnis 1907-1909 and his first parrots, "Aras", D5 and D6, above, dated 1908. 20 years of age and just in Art School. His first print after finishing his education (D8, the 3 snake Eagles) was immediatly awarded a gold medal in the famous Leipzig Bookdesign and Graphics Exhibition (Bugra) of 1914. The last one before the Great War began. What a away to start a career. I found his study dated 1908 !

3 Gauckler 1914

   

Study 1908 

His lifelong fascination for parrots and the female nude is already evident in the above painting "Damenakt mit Ara's" dated 1907 when he was just 19. And in this (academic) drawing below, in a difficult perspective, dated 1913. 

But these two watercolor drawings (below) auctioned as by MEPH (not even "attributed to") made me wonder however about the accuracy of today’s auction house documenteers. 

Nasturtiums with butterfly

Rosehips

They are actually the studies to these woodblock prints below, by the hand of Else Staps and probably dated with an educated guess by the auctioneer as "around 1910" and "around 1920".

Else Staps, Schmetterling und Kapuzinerkress

Else Staps, "Hagebüte",  rosehips

Maybe you knew Else Staps was Martins wife. I did not. Only recently I found out along my journey. It is nowhere documented on the www. They married in june 1925, probably in Zwickau and Martin documented it himself.

Their daughter Christiane Martina was born 8 months later.

I think the father is trying to tell us something about their characters in his amusing announcing-to-the-world card. I could not find any mentioning or biographical dates of either women after januari 1927 (below)

I know of 4 different woodcut prints auctioned (flowers or plants in pots) made by Else much in the style of her husband. One of them is the above rose-hips. And like her husband she must have loved birds.

Else Stapps, in the garden 

Martin Erich Philipp at the Zoo

And they must have been arguing and deliberating “who does who” concerning the titmice in the garden and the birds in Dresdens Zoo Aviaries. It must have been a happy household in Zwickau those years cutting and printing together. Man and wife, teacher and student ?

MEPH, D36: 1931 

MEPH, D52: 1935

Else Staps, blue tit

And this nice bouguet of roses in a great yellow Art Deco vase, monogrammed E.St. recently showed up. An aware and lucky buyer and an unaware seller. 

Another intriguing question is if Martin Erich Philipp anywhere shows his wife in any of his many portraits and nudes. He did a good many self portraits so I guess she must be in there somewhere.

MEPH: Portrait of a young woman:
Else ?