Carlos Grethe and Martin van Waning: II/III

Waning, Martin 

(Gijsbertus Martinus Wilhelmus Franciscus

(the Hague 04-09-1889 – 07-07-1972 Dokkum)

Painter, sculptor, medailleur, and etcher.

II/III

Talented, his father was a good amateur and his uncle Cornelis Anthony (Kees) van Waning (1861-1929) was a well-known the-Hague painter, he was encouraged and allowed to study privately in his youth with well known “the-Hague school” painters Willem H.P.J de Zwart (1862-1931), Jan van Rhijnnen (1859-1927) and Charles Dankmeijer (1861-1923). 

After finishing his studies at Delft University graduating as a mechanical engineer he travelled to Paris to become a painter. His great talent recognized he was commissioned by art dealers Bernheim Jeune (Gallery 1910, Boulevard Madeleine et Rue Richpanse). 

He then, full of ambition, he moved to Wiesbaden in those days an international, artistic and mondaine centre where he was offered an old ballroom of posh Hotel Metropole  to use as his studio in return providing the hotel with large murals receiving many other commissions for sculpting and painting. He exhibited in 1911 (!) in the Museum of the Nassauischer Kunstverein Museum and soon after all over Germany.  

It is said here he met “grand duke Orloff” (Orlov)* who was impressed by and bought his work persuading him becoming his private secretary and traveling together through Europe visiting and painting in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and North-Africa. After the prince died in 1913(?) he settled in the village of Rees but the same year returned to the Netherlands. I would very much like to solve the mystery who had been this Russian Nobleman who also arranged an exhibition for him in St Petersburg and that sold out the day of its opening ! 

Rotterdam 

No doubt in Wiesbaden he had been acquainted with the students and teachers at nearby Karlsruhe “Kunstakademie” and thus with Carlos Grethe (1864-1913) but probably to many more German artists. He became one of the most promising European artists of his time, the 1910-30's, but fell back after the 1930's to the level of "Master of the second echelon".   

William Turner and van Waning 

After his return he moved around quite a lot working and living in several places for the next 20 years but visiting the small island of Schiermonnikoog in 1937 made him decided to stay which he did for the next 35 years. He was provided with the use of the former “Zeevaartschool” (Maritime Academy building) as his studio.

On the morning of 28 july 1943 returning from a mission over Germany, American bombers were intercepted by German fighter pilots. To escape them they accidentally dropped their bomb load over the island destroying van Wanings studio and all his paintings and sculptures and killing 7 people including his neighbors, the former mayor and his wife, van Waning barely surviving the disaster. The building was reclaimed by the island community after WWII and he then settles in a private studio on the small island.     

He is well known for his many paintings of the beautiful small island and the sea. Which is very much in line with the student groups around Carlos Grethe concentrating in Duhne near Cuxhaven (before post). His grafic work is compared with that of orientalist painter and etcher Marius Bauer (1867-1932).The use of light and dark betrays his admiration for Rembrandt and Turner and the great Dutch Golden Age painters. His friendship with and admiration for  a forgotten and obscured sculptor (of course not Rodin below !) I intend to discuss in a later posting.

Rodin and van Waning

His paintings and etchings bare evidence of how he absorbed the styles and techniques from many classic painters as well as from contemporary colleagues, not afraid "borrowing" designs and idea's.

Lovis Corinth (1858-1925) and Martin van Waning 

Paul Paeschke (1875-1943) and Martin van Waning 

Jan van Goyen (1596-1656) and Martin van Waning  

 Emil Pottner (1872-1942) and Martin van Waning  

“The painter of Schiermonnikoog” is buried on the island. 

* The title "Grand Duke" is used for descendants (genetically related) to the Tzars of Russia. The name of prince Wladimir Orloff is mentioned. I have not been able to identify this noble Russian who died in 1913 in Germany yet. All help is welcomed.   

----------------

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

Next: III/III : A surprise from Hamburg 

Carlos Grethe and Martin van Waning: I/III

Carlos Grethe

 (Montevideo 1864 - 1913 Nieuwpoort Be.)

German painter and etcher 

& 

Martin van Waning 

(the Hague 1889 - 1972 Dokkum, buried Schiermonnikoog)

Dutch painter, etcher and sculptor 

Portraits of Grethe by Bernard Pankok (1872-1943) and van Waning from his tombstone.

Pankok was his Grethe's colleague in Stuttgart and director 1913-1937 of the "Kunstgewerbeschule".

His portrait by Emil Orlik with whom he co-founded the Berlin Secession in 1907.

This is a humble attempt linking the lives and careers of two artists, at first sight separated by time and distance and who are  each individually interesting enough for a personal biography*below.  In three small postings and within the confinements, limitations  and narrow space of this Blog this is not an easy task. But this story is well worth sharing so here goes.

Reading and studying the Hamburg artists and visiting their world roughly around the turn of the 19th into the 20th century (before post), printmakers, painters, world trade, big money, prosperity and fine museums, one is bound to meet Carlos Grethe, the painter of oceans and seas and of the world largest and busiest port, its workers and its atmosphere. After a sister and a brother Carlos Grethe was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, the family returning to Hamburg in 1869. 

He studied in Hamburg "Kunstgewerbeschule" and later in Frankfurt Art Academy and was appointed professor in Karslruhe returning often to his native Hamburg to paint and with his students he founded a painters colony in Duhnen near Cuxhaven on the North-sea coast, where river Elbe meets the sea. 

He was a friend of the world largest private ship owner and largest West-Africa trader Adolph Woermann (1847-1911), who lived near Cuxhaven. Woermann enabled him to travel the oceans in his ships. I bet Woerman will have seen his ocean liners set of to and return from the America's with passengers and his tall ships to and from Africa for trade like in this postcard photograph.

Later celebrated painter and printmaker Wilhelm Laage was Grethes student but also was Heine Rath (who like Grethe was awarded a professorship in Karlsruhe) and Karl Otto Matthaei. 

In his paintings deepest respect for the greatness of the oceans is always present, and also  for the the hard working seamen, harbor laborers, and fishermen. Grethe witnessed the period of transition: from sail to steam. I bet Grethe knew the (quite dramatic) work of his American colleague Winslow Homer (1836-1910), below:

He died in Nieuwpoort (at the sea in Belgium) from the complications of an appendix operation only 50 years old.  

Hans W. Singer, foremost German art historian and art critic, was a great admirer of Carlos Grethe and wrote a lyrical article on Carlos Grethe in the Studio 1904 (and later in 1910 and after his death) and this was where I saw this picture of a sketch by Grethe of Hamburg harbor which made me wonder. I picked this volume up last year in a car boot sale.

I could not find a painting made after this sketch, this is an example that probably comes closest. 

Do return in a few days for part II of an amazing story, and a discovery never discussed before. 

---------------------------

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

* Ingrid Stocke: Carlos Grethe 1864-1913, "Leben und Werk, der Maler des Meeres", 2008          

Paul Kayser meets Albert Marquet : ferry to Blankenese

Ernst Odefey's steam tug and ferryboat woodblock prints created in (around) 1914 brought me to Hamburg harbor in before postings. 

It was around the time French impressionists Bonnard and Veuillard were invited (commissioned) by Alfred Lichtwark, the director of the Hamburg Kuntshalle, to paint (en plein air) in Hamburg. This Hamburg harbor view, below, by Veuillard is I think not owned by the Kunsthalle. 

Paul Kayser night view Hamburg harbor.

With his enthusiasm, foresight, knowledge and the money from his often wealthy and prosperous "Hamburg Kunstfreunden" he build a fine collection for the people of Hamburg commissioning contemporary paintings (graphics and photographs) of contemporary Hamburg by contemporary and local artists. Created outdoors. 

A steam ferry boat is seen here in Carlos Grethe's (1864-1913) painting. Grethe, marine and Hamburg harbor painter and teacher was born in Uruquay. He'll feature in following postings. 

Following my personal path (visiting Hamburg means traveling Elbe river by water taxi), getting acquainted with the world of a century ago, my interest and curiosity, the ferryboat leaving in Odefey's print led me to its possible point of destination through the paintings of (Jean) Paul Kayser (1869-1942) one of the "Künstlerclub" (see end of posting) members and protégé of Lichtwark.

Paul Kayser: Pier in Blankenese & Albert Marquet: Pier in Fécamp  

His painting of a landing pier in Blankenese and his many paintings of this picturesque former fishing village with it's iconic views over River Elbe and Hamburg harbor without me knowing this painter led me to the "believe" he could have lived here, finding out he actually did: since 1908. 

In 1909 he had met visiting Albert Marquet and they had painted together in the harbor. Reading the "Künstlerclub"  book I learned that it is not fully understood why Lichtwark did not commission or buy one of his 1909 paintings at the time. It lasted until the 1960's until a (1909) work of him was acquired for the Kunsthalle. It seems to have been related to Lichtwark's "problems" with Matisse students (.....) Several versions of this painting exist. 

Marquet created some 17 paintings during his stay in Hamburg. In 1933 Kayser payed his friend Marquet a visit in Paris.  

  

The red tugboat by Marquet is in the collections of the Hermitage but I have no idea where the original painting of the green steam ferry boat (it looks like Odefey's) is located. The only picture of the painting I found: on a postcard in German Ebay. Even before Marquet, another french (post) impressionist had visited Hamburg: August Herbin (1882-1960), in 1907.

          

August Herbin in Hamburg & Paul Kayser in Paris 

Besides being a successful free creating painter Paul Kayser worked also as a teacher in Hamburg. For over 30 years he taught at Glockengießerwall 25 in a building opposite Lichtwarks Kunsthalle, in the painting school, "Malschule Röver" (from 1904 "Malschule Gerda Koppel"). 

A school in which Lichtwark also was involved. Painter and printmaker Gretchen Wohlwill (1878-1962) studied here. (And also with Fritz Friedrichs (1882-1828) (below) who ran his own paintings school in Hamburg from 1910).

   

Gretchen Wohlwill & Fritz Friedrichs: Elbe pier.

From the window of his studio in the school Kayser painted the Glockengießerwall-Alsterdamm crossing and entrance to the Lombardbrücke connecting the shores of the Alster basin and dividing "Inner & Außer Alster" in 1910. With a perspective the Paris impressionists often choose painting the cities grand Rues. Opposite is the Kunsthalle and the construction of Hamburg "Zentral Bahnhof" (central station), started in 1899, had finished a few years earlier in 1906.

Paul Kayser: Hamburg Glockengießerwall, Hamburg.

Albert Marquet: St. Cloud, Paris    

His colleague and "Künstlerclub" friend Ernst Eitner (1867-1955) choose (I think) the opposite head of the Lombardsbrücke but from ground floor. 

Using the same high perspective from a floor window is seen in this painting of a quiet Hamburg lane by hardly known Hamburg painter Marie Schmersahl-Kyöbge (1875-1951). She was "promoted" by Alfred Lichtwark and Gustav Pauli (director of Bremen Kunsthalle and successor of Lichtwark in Hamburg after his death in 1914). 

----------------

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

This small selection of possibly many hundreds great examples of Hamburg Impressionist paintings is of course extremely limited in the space of this Blog contribution, arbitrary and 

strictly personal.

Carsten Meyer-Tönnismann's book: "der Hamburgische Kunstlerclub von 1897" reads like a novel and brings to life this artistic and prosperous period in Hamburg very vividly. Recommended !