Helene Isenbart:: Dantzig Oliwa Cathedral

Annex collecting "Holzschnitte" and continuously researching the biographies of German women printmakers born in the 19th century, on rare occasions opportunity knocks: finding and actually being able to acquire something special: an etching, lithographic drawing or a painting. Knowing my special feelings for this particular Berlin printmaker it was made personally known and shown to me by friendly Berlin gallerist and printdealer Thomas in Berlin recently.

This oil painting of an unknown church interior was painted by Berlin printmaker Helene Isenbart (b. 1864- d. in or after 1927). Almost without exception "our " women printmakers happened to be wel trained and accomplished painters) . 

Thanks to a very friendly and helpful reader of this Blog, who prefers to stay anonymous, we now do know the location. 

Helene Isenbart choose Danztig (then capital of West-Prussia, now Gdansk in Poland) Oliwa Cathedral for her interior. It is most famous for its splendid organ. 

Thanks to this very attentive and friendly and also Berlin helper we can stand where the artist draw and sketched her view. Knowing the title or location of a work of art adds greatly to its historic and artistic importance and "value" (not meaning money wise). 

It looks like the church has seen some restoration, on the pillars, and the rames of biblical paintings (stations) seem be renewed. But most of it, the floor tiles and church benches are still as they were 100 years ago when Helene Isenbart visited.

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

Mattiessen, Hedwig G.

Matthiesen, Hedwig G. 

(Rostock 12-10-1878 – after 1921 possibly in Berlin)

Painter and printmaker.   

Daughter of professor of physiology and zoology in Rostock University Ludwig G. Matthiessen (Fissau near Eutin 22-09-1830 – 1906 Rostock) and Paulina Augusta Emilie Meyer (Kiel 12-02-1841 - ?).  

The couple had 9 children of which Hedwig was the before last and of which 5 died before reaching full adulthood.  Hedwig worked and lived in Berlin. She was a member of the VdBK ("Verein der Berliner Künstlerinnen") in Berlin 1912-1916. I wonder where she studied. 

Dressler’s Kunsthandbuch 1921 mentions :  living Berlin W.50 Charlottenburg, Augsburgstrasse 23 (Grth).

This is the meager biography of Hedwig in my German Women Printmakers Index, there’s simpley nothing more to rely on in the Internet. And there are just these two prints, a woodblock print (can one deny ?) with such strong resemblances to Eva Maria Marcus’ (1889-1970) blossoming fruit trees print proof of her artistic existence:

And secondly there's this lithographic print by her hand which is very reminding of similar summer garden compositions by printmaker Helene Mass (b. 1871 - ?) who actually taught “Farbholzschnitt” in the VdBK’s school of drawing in Berlin most probably herself a student of Emil Orlik (1870-1932).   

and by Helene Isenbart (1864- in or after 1927) this last example: nr. 1 on my wish list. There's no doubt these women artists living in Berlin met or at least had knowledge of their artistic sisters creative output and ideas.    

Please help and send pictures and information of other works by or biographical details of Hedwig Matthiessen.  

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These two new finds were  added to this article (31-10-2015) 

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