Rosa Paul: Schweinfurt printmaker

A fortnight ago I introduced miss Rosa Paul from Schweinfurt (here, or follow the label below) in this Blog. For a century nobody but the director of the St. Gallen Museum knew about this forgotten printmaker shared in his Martha Cunz exhibition catalogue "Faszination Farbholzschnitt".

With some help and armchair research in the historic adress books found in the public website "Mein Schweinfurt" and some serious puzzling some more light can now be thrown upon this unknown painter and printmaker. Research in local historic archives, some serious genealogical research and perhaps an article in a local newspaper on this undeservedly forgotten artistic daughter of Schweinfurt will no doubt lead to a renewed interest and respect. 

Stars: Rossmarkt 1 & 3, Postplatz 2. Arrow towards the Firewatch tower

Here's what I deduced from the facts found in the Website records and with the help of readers Wolfgang in Frankfurt and Dorothea in Mittelfranken. 

Rossmarkt buildings with shared roof and before floors were added (before 1912) 

When widowed Lisette Paul-Wagner, probably with her two  daughters Rosa (1884-1936) and Margarethe (1880-1962), moved to Rossmarkt nr. 1 somewhere between 1896 and  1904 she had moved from nearby "Postplatz 2"  formerly known as "an der Fleischbank 2")  where her husband Gottlob Paul had been Inn keeper, at "Weinstube Paul" and where she will have worked and lived with her family until the new owners took over the business.  
In 1890 the old "Fleischbank" (meat market) was demolished to make room for the new post office. The square, formerly known as "an der Fleischbank" was renamed Postplatz.  

The building with the "Fachwerk" upper left is probably the Inn: Gaststätte/Weinstube Paul.

Before Gottlob Paul the Inn was owned by Wolfgang Paul: let us for or now assume he was Gottlob's father, Rosa' grandfather. Wolfgang Paul is mentioned from the records the owner of Weinstube Paul in 1846 and 1856. In 1886 he is recorded as retired living at "An der Fleischmarkt nr. 4". Gottlob is mentioned as the owner in 1886 and 1895. Somewhere between 1895 and 1904 he will have died. In 1904-1921 the Inn was owned by Johann Michael Paul and in 1925 by Elise Paul (is she, could she be identical with Lisette ??). From 1925 also "Gastwirt" Karl Paul and his wife ("Stütze"" Helene Paul are mentioned living here. 

It is said the Inn was run by the Paul family until 1932 and then changed ownership. It would be logical to think Johann was the son of Gottlob, and thus brother of Rosa. But if Gottlob and Lisette had no boy (old enough) as successor it could also be Johann succeeded the business as a nephew. The only other "Paul" mentioned in the 19th century Schweinfurt adress books is Leander Paul a "Maschinenschlosser" (engine fitter). His relationship to the before mentioned is speculation. But Leander could very well be Gottlob's brother. From here on genealogical research by a local interested person or historian will no doubt reveal family connections. 

In this photo both buildings, the ancestral Postplatz Inn and the later Rossmarkt home of Rosa Paul can be seen
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Rossmarkt 1/3

Entire south facade composed from two photo's (2 stories added Rossmarkt 1-3) as Rosa would have known it. She lived in one of the floors in the second from left house next to "Weinstube zur Traube".  

As only adult citizens (house owners and main occupants) were recorded in the adress books (it was not a census) the widowed Lisette (= Elisabeth = Elise?) is recorded in Rossmarkt 1 in 1904, 1908 (at nr. 3) and 1913 (at nr. 1). She is not mentioned in the 1921 address book.

Weinwirtschaft "zur Traube" obviously survived WW2 bombing damage (1950's VW beetle model) and the entrance was changed. Today it is replaced by the Rossmarkt Apotheke (see below) 

 Cafe ........... (sign in the window) ..... Rosa Paul ??

1925: Rosa & Margaretha Paul are living at nr. 3.

Margaretha lives her until 1938 and them moves to Frankengasse 25.

View from one of the floors of Rossmarkt 1, possibly from Rosa's home. 

Before 1907: fire watch tower at the end of the Mang-gasse is not yet restored. 

From here on following only the information from the adress books is speculation: some proper investigation on the spot is required. After 1967/68 no Paul family members are found in the Schweinfurt telephone books.  

Rossmarkt destructions after allied bombing 1943-45, Weinstube zur Traube (later restored) and nr. 1-3 still standing but ruined. The Bauschenhaus, direct hit, almost disappeared.  

Since the house Rossmarkt 1-3 is mentioned to be owned by one Emil Hofmann and later by Babette Hoffmann (widdow) I think we can assume the building with nr. 1 (and 3) is not the corner building "Gasthaus und Weinstube zur Traube" because this building has recorded different ownership. Somewhere between 1900 and 1912 two stories were added to the building 1-3. Some 13 different people are registered living here. Among them a Wilhelm Wagner (possibly related to Lisette Paul-Wagner).

Rebuild Rossmarkt Schweinfurt 

After 18 months of bombing raids (targeting the strategic ball-bearing factories) half the houses of Schweinfurt were damaged and/or lost. Today "Weinstube zur Traube" houses the Rossmarkt Apotheke and nr. 1-3 is replaced by modern shopping buildings. The fire watch, also heavily damaged by bombs was eventually torn down in the 1950's.  

Former Weinstube "zur Traube",  Rossmarkt 1-3 now united with the former Bauschhaus. 

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I invite any interested party to follow-up on our preliminary investigations with further investigations, comments, corrections and suggestions.  

With many thanks to Wolfgang in Frankfurt, Theodora in Mittelfranken, Dr. Daniel Studer in Sankt Gallen and Schweinfurt Historical Website coordinator Peter Hofmann in Schweinfurt. Most historic photo's were found in this website. 

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

Miss Rosa Paul: a forgotten Martha Cunz student

Thanks to reader Wolfgang I was informed about an exhibition held in Sankt-Gallen (Sw.) "Historisches und Völkerkundemuseum" (historical and ethnographic museum): "Faszination Farbholzschnitt" around St. Gallen's most famous woodcut artist Martha Cunz. It runs until march 2017 and there's a catalogue raisonné on her work published by it's enthousiast director and author Dr. Daniel Studer.  

Martha Cunz (1876-1961) is known to have been a teacher to many printmaking artists, and in the exhibition there are 4 examples of prints by one particularly talented student: "Fraulein R. Paul". 

Schweinfurt, Roßmarkt by Rosa Paul.  

Miss Paul visited to study with Martha Cunz in St. Gallen in 1908 and in 1909 and left these 4 examples of her efforts in the collections and archives of her teacher. I've never seen any prints by her on the market and she is not mentioned in any of the artists lexicons: she seems to have disappeared from the records after 1909.

Weißkohl Markt (after 1907 !) 

But I had a hunch the market scene may be a clue to where miss Paul originated from. Wolfgang suggested "somewhere North of the Alps" so possibly Bavaria (Bayern) ? The very specific watchtower ("Wachturm") and market ("Marktplatz") might be one day recognized by an attentive reader, he suggested. 

Roßmarkt, Rosa Paul may have lived in one of these houses. In the background the fire watch

Looking down from the Fire Watch Tower towards Roßmarkt 

The truth is this wonderful medieval scene (the watch tower  actually is the "Feuerwehrturm" (fire watch) build or renewed in 1907 so shortly before she travelled to Martha Cunz Switzerland) was destroyed by allied bombing: it is Roßmarkt in Schweinfurt on river Main, right in the heart of Germany, 60 km, east of Frankfurt. The damaged watch was demolished in the 1950's.

Rosa Paul is mentioned (M. "Malerin" - painter) living Roßmarkt 1 in my copies of Dresslers Kunsthandbuch 1921 and 1930. But she's left no traces in the Internet nor  in any artist lexicon. Food for local historians, but a new name in my "German Women Printmakers Lexicon".    

Turkeys, (Truthahn) by Rosa Paul 

and by Cläre Neuhaus (1882 - 1932?) and Walter Klemm

Since Rosa Paul's prints are true examples of "early" printmaking (before 1910 when Orlik was busy teaching in Berlin, Klemm and Thiemann in Dachau and Martha Cunz in Sankt Gallen) I'll show them with some examples by other early printmaking icons.  

Rosa Paul 

Duck prints by Helene Grande-Tüpke (1871-1946) 

Spring meadow: Rosa Paul 

 Hedwig Matthiessen (1879- after 1930).

Please send information concerning miss Rosa Paul (apparently she stayed unmarried) living and working in Schweinfurt (1910-1930). All new information on this unknown artist will be shared in this Blog. Research "on the spot" is already promised.........  

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

Prints by Rosa Paul shown thanks to Wolfgang Barina in Frankfurt who took photographs at the exhibition in St-Gallen this week. 
Courtesy ("mit Genehmigung") of Dr. Daniel Studer, St.Gallen.  

Helene Gries-Danican, two surprising early prints

Helene Gries–Danican

(Kiel 1874-1935 Braunschweig) 

was a German painter (and printmaker) who, in her times was much praised for her sea paintings. She'd started her studies privately with marine painter Georg Burmeister (1864-1936) who's influence and use of colour is evident in all her sea related paintings. 

Master and Student: Georg Burmeister and Helene Gries-Danican.

The similarities with Max Beckmann's (1884-1950) 1907 "Seestück" (lower) are striking. She will have met Beckmann while studying with Burmeister in Berlin(1906-1908). 

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She also entered Dresden “Kunstschule Kops” the privately run by Georg Lührig (1868-1957) painting school and studied with Dora Hitz (1856-1924) who'd moved from Dresden to Berlin in 1892. As daughter of a well to do notary in Kiel she was also allowed to study (1903-04) in the Academie Colarossi in Paris ending her studies in 1908 with again Georg Burmeister in Berlin. 

In childhood she had to undergo surgery (probably because of an inner ear infection) which left her disabled after the facial nerve was damaged with a paralyzed and drooping right side of her face and a hearing impediment. Recently more attention to her work and biography was given by a publication by a grand-nephew. And her work was exhibited in 2008.

Finding these two very Japanese colour woodblock prints in the Internet was a pleasant surprise. I could not find datings but I wonder what may have inspired her because there’s not much to compare them with besides the 1906-08 Japanese lantern prints by American printmaker Bertha Lum (1869-1954) but that seems too far fetched and unlikely.  

More probable are the Munich artists Martha Wenzel (1856-1943) iconic “Spaziergang” (1907),

and Martha Cunz (1876-1961) who did several "night scene" prints (in shades of gray and a strong colour component) around 1905-06.

Studying in Berlin 1906-1908 places her also in the times of Emil Orlik who came from Munich to Berlin in 1905 to teach woodblock printmaking. It is frustrating so little written evidence is left or delivered to us although this period is called "recent history". In Germany this is because of the devastations of archives, buildings and complete city's in during WW2. 

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

Matterhorn: Findeln, Zermatt

Unknown printmaker: help requested 

A typical wooden shed, a granary in Findeln, just above Zermatt, with a view on Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps by an unknown or unidentified printmaker. Wolfgang, usually solving my puzzles could use a hand with this print. No big deal, not great art, just a simple print ? Yes, but it is also "simply as it is". On a clear day and once you've decided and selected the subject of your work. Quite clever also, and true. So if you have any idea about the maker .....................or can read the signature. 

Dagmar Hooge (1870-1930) was also was in the Alps in 1922 to or from her visit to Martha Cunz (1876-1961) in St. Gallen with her sister and tried to catch the atmosphere of a clearing storm in the mountains. Where  and Martha Cunz choose a sunny day.

And a few years later Yoshida Hiroshi (1876-1950) choose Matterhorn (and the town of Zermatt) too, in 1925, and made two versions of the same print: one at day and one at night. 
  

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Findeln Zermatt by unknown Th. Husy
 probably showing the same view and traditional granary.

And two paintings of Findeln, granaries, chapel and Matterhorn 

Waldemar Fink: 1893-1948

Francois Marc Eugene Gos: 1880-1975

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