Marie Rollé: under the influence ?

Rollé, Marie

(Bern 15-05-1865 - 1942)

Swiss painter and printmaker.

Marie Rollé: Bielersee

My ongoing research concerning pioneering German Women Printmakers also includes German speaking artists: Swiss, Austrian, Scandinavian: artists who possibly were trained and influenced by or in German Art Academies, Schools, by German teachers and private Institutions.

Marie Rollé: "Arve am Gletscher" 1927. This print is known as a supplement to the magazine of the "Grafische Kunst Gesellschaft für verfielfaltigende Kunst" in Vienna (Austria). Copies of this wonderful print offered (Ebay) may  or may not have have the supplement original text printed in the lower regions of the sheet.  It seems possible (likely) this was removed. The originality of the signature M. Rollé is also doubtful. 

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Hans Neumann (Munich 1873-1957) 2 color variations of the same print. 

I know of only one example, this print, by Marie Rollé. She studied in Bern with Paul Volmar (1832-1906) and in the Academie Julian in Paris but also with Bernhard Buttersack (1858-1925) in Munich. The print is regularly offered in Ebay but this one appeared  in a local sale recently. I'd missed it but received a reminder from a friendly reader. Although I am from "Europe's low-lands" and not particularly fond of mountain scenery I have to admit, unpacking   it is a really nice print, on heavy wove paper and it has an almost embossed "feel" and quality.   

Marie Rollé, Arve stone pine. 

Gos, Albert Henri (1852-1942)
(the same ?) Stone pine and Arve Gletcher  

Excavating the Internet I found Marie Rollé also painted the lone mountain pine. Her woodblock print however is more than just reminding of Hans Neumann's (1873-1957) print of a lone Alpine pine-tree (Swiss stone-pine) against a background of Swiss mountains. 

I assume (an educated guess) because of the complete absence of biographical and artist information on Marie Rollé that she learned printmaking from Neumann in Munich. The right time (around 1906/7), the right place and the similarities just cannot be ignored. See my posting on the Neumann brothers and their influence here*, or follow the labels below. Marie Rollé would have been one of many women artists/painters embracing this new craft. She was already in her 40's welcoming a new and popular means of marketing her skills and artistic talents as a free creating woman artist. 

Which brings me to some of Neumanns other not commonly seen prints and possible inspiration to other students and colleagues. His influence to southern originated artists possibly as far reaching as Emil Orliks was to the northern variety. After his switch from Munich to Berlin. 

Martha Wenzel (1859-1943) and Martha Cunz (1876-1961), both studied in Munich. They even seem to have added "Neumann-inspired" monograms to their prints. As did Marie Rollé. Martha Wenzels print was also published as a supplement. 

Else von Schmiedeberg-Blume (1876-1927(?), Berlin, blow left. Right: Hans Neumann.  

Marie Rollé is mentioned Dressler's Kunsthandbuch 1921: Fräulein (miss) living  in Bern (Sw.) Elfenstrasse nr.3. A member of the SfKV (Sweizerische freie Kunst Verein "Sezession".

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

Visit the recent and regular upload of collectable prints and other pre-owned art in my new gallery:

www.galerieondine.com 

   

Katharine Maria Gericke: a revelation !

 Katharine Maria Gericke

(Vienna 1893 - 1974 Boston USA)

Thanks to American reader and collector Tom today the revelation of some never before made public prints by this forgotten German-American printmaker.

Katharine was the daughter of Wilhelm Gericke (1845-1925) and grew up surrounded by the art and music of Europe and America. Her father was an accomplished conductor of symphony orchestras and choral groups in Austria, and a close friend of many of the musical geniuses of the day. 

Drawing of Katharine, showing probably her father conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

Her family traveled extensively to the cultural centers of Europe and, even as a young child, Katharine demonstrated an early talent for sketching the picturesque sites they visited. 

In Brian Hannon's collection (see below) I've found the sketch for this woodblock print 

In 1898, five-year-old Katharine was first introduced to American culture when her father became, for the second time, the conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The family returned to Austria in 1906 when Katharine was thirteen. Katharine enrolled in art school in Vienna in about 1910, but her art education was disrupted by financial difficulties brought on by the First World War. 

In 1925 Katharine’s father died in Vienna. His obituary in The New York Times mentioned his surviving “loving wife and talented daughter”. Katherine and her mother traveled throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s, visiting London and New York in 1932, but more often returning to the Renaissance villages of Italy, or places like Salzburg and other famous centers of their musical past. 

When the Nazis annexed Austria, Katharine immigrated to the U.S. and returned to Boston. She became a U.S citizen in 1946, and worked most of her life as an art conservator until 1968. She never married, and died in 1974 at the age of 81. Known for her drawings but also working with woodblock printmaking. 

Votive Church and rooftops in Katharine's birthplace Vienna

(biography with courtesy: Brian Hannon New-York Fine Art Inc. (link) where you can find many examples of Katharine's fine drawings and sketches).

All pictures are mouse-clickable to embiggen.

All pictures (and text) borrowed freely from the internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only.

Friedli Bendicht

Friedli Bendicht

1930-

Swiss painter and incidental woodblock printmaker

I found these pictures of two small edition woodblock prints in a closed Swiss auction site. Simple yet effective and very charming. I have no idea in which period of his career he created them but I'ld hope (wish) he did (do) some more.

Ice !

Making and using ice, without leaving behind any ecological footprint, for centuries was not only a luxury to the rich but also a very clever and sustainable way of survival we should not forget and try to remember with great respect. 

Walter Klemm (1883-1957)

Besides cooling wine in summer, fishmongers and bakeries and probably many more enterprises and industries depended on harvesting and storing ice. Ice that lasted as long as a year in cleverly constructed isolated cellars. 

Karl Friedrich Zähringer (Sw.) (1886-1933) "Eisbrecher"

Giovanni Giacometti (It.) 1868-1933

It's hard to imagine when we open our refrigerator door the activities shown by these artists were once a common sight not a century ago. As these pictures show: in Italy, Holland, Germany and Switserland.

Harvesting ice in Amsterdam 1917

If readers have knowledge of more examples of icemaking and harvesting please send them for sharing.

  Bernard Rice (Br.) (1900-1998), thank you Charles.

(2003) Clara Lieu (US)

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Speaking of the wonderful and versatile Walter Klemm (read here) I found two more prints that should have been in the recent Fanny Psicha posting. But along this self educational path I follow and the information on the Internet expanding  every day, these things happen. For following readers I show them here and also add them to the original posting for new readers. 

Flamingo posting (June 16th) omission

How could I forget this lonely flamingo print by important and prolific Swiss printer Martha Cunz (1876 - 1961). She created it in 1904, the flamingo probably living in St. Gallen Zoo, esthablished in 1892 when Martha was 16. The picture is also added to the posting of June 16th.

For even more Flamingo's on posters and prints visit Japonism Blog:
http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com/2011/07/firebird.html and
http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com/2007/03/crane-wife.html

Seagulls and the woodblock (III)

Robert Hainard

(1906 - 1999)

Swiss painter, woodblockprinter, sculptor, naturalist, writer, book-illustrator and philosopher.

Like a good teacher Clive subtly let me know that there was an shortcomming in my gulls and the woodblock postings. And absolutely right he is. But he didnot show me. That is what differentiates the good teacher from the bad teacher. "Look it up and find out your self" is the way to learn. Teaching students the modern way (not telling them but raising curiousity and encouragement to investigate) dramatically, improves what is learned and remembered later. It's how the brain functions best.

I created my blog as an intelectual exercise for my personal amazement and amusement. It helps me keep track of my thoughts and mental where-abouts of the moment. Often new acquainted artists and knowledge leading me "hopping" to others. Teachers, students, influences, contemporaries etc..

The results of my exercises being read by visitors (followers even !) with similar interests, who comment, correct and improve is amazing and undoubtedly one of the great assets of the Internet.

There must be more omissions in my postings (and in my english..) Not all is (yet) available and sometimes pictures are hidden deep in the www. soup. Let's not forget that never before in history so much knowledge has been under our easy grasp, at home, instantly accessible. And that it was brought together through the Internet only over the last 15 years or so. And is ever growing. And there is the limiting factor of time. There is more to life then woodblocks and art alone.

Also I am still pretty ignorant and amatorish. But a quick and eager learner too. Completion has never been my intention, thus creating a wonderfull opportunity to learn and share.

On Robert Hainard enough is available and easily attainable on the internet for those interested. For my personal remembering this encounter I have added his "Bluetits" and wonderfull "Swallowtail"and willowblossoms. Wonderfull !

Thanks Clive !

Pamela Colman-Smith

(1878-1951).

English painter, illustrator, publisher and woodblock artist.

Student of Arthur Wesly Dow.

I found this lonely seagull by Pamela Colman-Smith. To avoid another omission I show it here, Although much (everything ?) is written on this artist I will return soon with a small posting on Dow's handwriting in the background landscapes in Colman's illustrations.

William Seltzer Rice

(1873-1963

American painter, teacher and woodblockprinter

This is not improving clarity but how could I have missed this Gulls and Sea by Willam Rice. It should have been hanging next to Arthur Rigden Read's ofcourse. The larger gull in the middle of the wave's white foam isn't that easily noticed and detected in the screens small thumbnail pictures.

I think this ends the Gulls and woodblock posting for the time being. Probably Henri Rivière must have staged and stuffed some gulls in his wonderfull and many coastal Brittany (Bretagne) prints but that I have yet to investigate.

PS: this picture I have found at : Japonism (http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com/) and is used with thanks to Lotusgreen.