Mathilde Reuss: a royal printmaker and a puzzle

Reuss, Mathilde

(Dresden 19-03-1853 – 1933 Dresden)
Princes and once heir to the throne of Saxony.

painter an printmaker.

(added 1-november 2015) It has become clear that the princes Mathilde is not identical with Mathilde Reuss, student of Angelo Jank and working in Munich. Mathilde Reuss known from a handful of color woodblock prints will be treated in an updated posting based on new information soon.   

Planning to compose a book on the first generation of German women  printmakers, born 1855-1900 and active before WWII I'm doing a lot of research lately, reading and checking biographies. Trying to fill up gaps and often starting with nothing. Like in this case. Who ever heard of Mathilde Reuss now considering there are two printmakers with that name.

It's combining archived pictures of prints gathered from old auction catalogues, books, on-line auction sites etcetera and the result of some serious puzzling together fragments, bits and pieces of facts and data. Today an example of my efforts unobscuring a forgotten and before unknown (unidentified) printmaking artist. My genealogical experience helping sometimes. 

The signature reads: Mathilde Reuß, München.  

Besides: Reuss or Reuß isn't a usual or "common" German family name either. It belongs to the House of Sachsen (Saxony), German (intermarried) royalty. Inherited from her great-great grandmother maternal: Countess Auguste Caroline Sophie Reuß zu Ebersdorf (1757 - 1831). Maybe her monogram in this African Storches or Marabus print is hinting at her royal status. RMR. the second R for Royal or Regina ?

Poster for the exhibition "Frauenkunst zum Besten fuhr Mutter und Kind" for the "Illustrierte Zeitung", Dresden 1912. 

So her full name is:  Mathilde Marie Auguste Viktorie Leopoldine Karoline Luise Franziska Josepha of Saxony, Duchess of Saxony. Eldest surviving daughter of King (for two years 1902-1904) George of Saxony  (1832-1904) and Maria Anna of Portugal (1843-1884). (They had 8 children but before Mathilde 2 girls died in infancy).

 Dresden Zoo Marabus or African Storks. Etching by Martin Erich Philipp

Princess Mathilde stayed unhappy and unmarried after being refused and rejected an arranged marriage by her fathers strategic choices. Twice. She was not a beauty and the lucky candidates obviously pernickety. Leaving the poor girl embittered,  seeking consolation in alcohol she was nicknamed “Schnapps Mathilde” by the Saxons. What a sad story. 

Marabus by Helene Grande-Tupke (1871-1946), in Breslau or Dresden Zoo.

Nevertheless Mathilde took up a career of painting and printmaking following painting lessons in Dresden with Alfred Diethe (1836-1919) from 1890 to 1901. And she was rich enough to have asked Norbertine Bresslern Roth (1891-1978) for some good advice because looking at her Marabus print she obviously was acquainted with her work. She certainly could afford summoning every artist in the land to her house in Dresden. 

She was given this villa in Dresden Hosterwitz. The von Sachsen-Coburgs were immensely, filthy rich: British Queen Victoria was one (by her mother) and she married one (prince Albert). Best way of keeping the money in the family and when you're lucky the children will turn out not too bad. Here Mathilde stayed, traveling, painting, making prints and posters, illustrating a book or two and maybe drinking once in while reflecting how her life would have looked like if she had married, had children like 3 of her 5 brothers and sister. Aunty Mathilde died in the villa aged 70 in 1933. What was left of the great house after the rage of WWII was broken up in shelters for the homeless first and later converted into dwellings for ordinary people. 

A bookplate made for Mathilde Reuss by Ferdinand Nockher, a Munich painter, illustrator and bookplate (ex-libris) maker.

See also the before posting for the Marabu print by Philipp Reisdorff: a coincidence. 

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

The Marabu print by HTG: from the Japonism Blog. Thank you Lilly!

Philipp Reisdorff and Heinrich Evers

Philipp Reisdorff

(1889-1963 Cologne)

German painter, teacher and printmaker 

Recently these 3 prints turned up in Ebay: not a bargain but the Leopard sold.  The other two were relisted. They were created in 1919 and I think nice enough to share here because of the original approach. I’d never heard of this artist before but in Cologne he was famous enough to be awarded an exhibition in Cologne with a book in 1994. Besides these three prints I wasn't able finding any other examples. 

But one of his, maybe most achieved students I’d met before: 

Heinrich Evers

(1982-1967)

Münsterland printmaker 

very popular for decades and to this day in beautifull and friendly Münsterland (Westfalia) Germany for depicting local scenery, monuments and villages. Evers met Reisdorff during WWI and he encouraged him in making woodcut prints. An advice enabling Evers to make a living from his printmaking the rest of his life. Visiting the great historic provincial city of Münster and it's nice surroundings you'll stumble over his decorative and skillful prints in every antiques shop. 

A quick Google survey will turn up many more prints but here're three of my favorite ones.   

Dear Santa

Modern Times 

Without comment.

This message came to me by email and I haven't been able to trace its origin.

Reblogged with friendly intentions  

Moritz von Gruenewaldt, in Dresden Zoo ?

Otto Robert 

Moritz von Gruenewaldt

(1870 born Estonia – 1933 died Münich)

Estonian-German bookplate artist

and woodblock printmaker.

I don’t think many people ever heard of this artist except maybe the bookplate collector. A handful of bookplates can be found Googling, exquisite miniatures,  and there has been a folio (or book) in existence showing this work in the first decade of the 20^th century. 

This lovely print of a duck very reminding of the William Nicholson (1872-1949) duck from his Square Book of Animals (1899) but also of Hilde Exner's (1880-1922) pigeons, of the Ver Sacrum (or Vienna Secession) period: 1903. 

Otto Robert's aristocratic portrait I've found in the Estonian archives of the “Korporatsioon Livonia” the student club of the Tartu (Dorpat) University where he was a member 1890-1891. This university was established 1632, when the Swedes ruled, and was preceded by an even older Gymnasium. 

Under Russian Rule since 1710, the (a) Moritz von Gruenewaldt family even made it to governor halfway the 19th century but I have no idea if this has any relation with Otto Roberts branch of the family. 10 years before an Otto Ernst Moritz von G. (b.1860) was also a student member but he was inscribed a law student a decade before in 1880, he was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was in this membership archive he was named Otto Robert. All later reference only speaking of Moritz von Gruenewaldt. The signature is always "M.v.Grunewaldt". Confusing.

Not long ago I saw a woodblock print that made me strongly think of Martin Erich Philipp, the pictures not good enough to identify the signature then. It was just the sort of “déja vu” discovering the prints of Walter Helfenbein (1893-1984). I introduced this Dresden artist recently here*. I have a strong feeling both men were in Dresden Zoo with Philipp. It was the "Crowned Crane" print below. 

And then recently I saw another one but now recognizing the style and the signature. Both prints, the "Crowned Crane" and the "Lady Amhurst Pheasant" probably have belonged together (the one below had a Berlin dealer label) because, with some time in between they were offered by the same seller.

And from a collectors point of view they, “of course”, should have stayed  together or at least be re-united some day. But I can only conclude they aren’t anymore. Maybe one day they will, who knows. Whoever has the Crane, maybe stumbling over this posting, he or she may contact me any time. 

Written in pencil on the back of the small sheet (it measures only 12 x 18 cm.) a to me not readable text (in Fraktur Schrift: "zum kleinen lieben …..probably ending with: ….. von ….Grünewaldt.") and the date: October 1925. Maybe there's a clue. Maybe a certain German collector who helped out before can.   

 Martin Erich Philipp's prints of Dresden Zoo Pheasants and Cranes from a around decade before. 

This posting summing up what I’ve discovered so far on this forgotten,  obscured but talented artist. Any additions, corrections or comments are as always very welcome.

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

Hokusai, could it be ?

 Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎), 

(1760 - 1849)

Japanese painter and woodblock printmaker

No no, be assured. I'm not sharing a post on what is considered the most celebrated woodblock printmaker of them all. His "Wave" and many "Views on Mount Fuji", are world famous, iconic and known to all of course, treated and discussed by ukiyo-e experts for a 100 years.

But Hukusai was a painter too, and a drawer and a sketcher. Books with his (and/or his school's) prolific work have survived time, so I've read. But searching for them on the internet delivering not many. Not nearly as many as his prints. Most of the paintings and drawings (I've found) are now treasured in museum collections.  

The reason for the interest and search was, always on the prowl, recently finding the watercolor drawing/painting with pencil notation: "by Hokusai (1760-1849)". I have no idea what the hatted man is doing with the barrel (or large pot). It is not signed and it bares no seal. So I have few illusions and many reservations. It came in a very refined and posh frame. Comparing it with the examples I've found: could it be ? The Wagtail print, which is signed and sealed, has very similar "snow" created by what looks like a tiny splash of water (or acid ?) 

Maybe an expert reader in time, stumbling over this posting, will tell me. Until then I'ld just like to believe ….. And besides, by Hokusai himself or not: I like it anyway.

  

All opinions, information and comments welcomed !

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

    

A stream of consciousness

Emile Gustaf Westman

(1894-1934)

Swedish printmaker

Stumbling over this Scandinavian etching of a blossoming tree and a visiting bee set a string of pictures and memories in motion that tells the story in what wondrous way the brain, my brain, is sometimes functioning. 

Because I'd never heard of this artist before I did my best to find out more about him but nothing much came up in the www. "Pupil of (Anders) Zorn"  the etcher-painter, it said somewhere. But Emil Gustaf must have been locally known according to this big pile of prints I found offered in a Scandinavian auction site although he seems now largely forgotten. Many of the prints showing Malmö buildings and sites I discovered.

Only once his name popped up: in the entry to his son's biography: Gunnar Millet Westman (1915-1985) also an artist and remembered best for his sculptural work. And finding a picture of this granit statue called "Bro Bro Brille" immediately rang a bell. I've walked passed it many many times the last 10 years working in Groningen in the University Medical Centre. It's a very intimate statue of a family and the children encircling the parents in a game. You won't ever forget it, stroking the cold but smooth granite, and with a smile on your face, walking past, either to work or homeward. And I must have seen it in childhood.

It is hewn from a huge used granite press and it was placed in 1958, bought and donated to the city of Groningen (Netherlands) after a Danish sculpture exhibition in 1955 in the Municipal Park, to celebrate the opening of the big V&D warehouse. 

A decade after the destruction and rebuilding of what had been one of the best preserved and finest medieval market squares in Europe. 1955 was the year I (in my second year) returned with my parents from the tropics to the city of my forebears and living only a street length away to leave again a few years later the great and bustling and dynamic city of Groningen, capital of the North. 

With Zorn and the foraging bee in my head the "connections" were made. Martin Erich Philipp: besides printmaking and painting and much like Zorn, was an etcher too. This sensitive "Rückenakt" (is it his wife Else Staps or a model standing at the window ?) imho his finest. It is probably far more affordable then a Zorn etching who I cannot help thinking, often has the air of a voyeur, camera in hand. Besides being a great painter and etcher of course. And now at the end of the stream it becomes obvious why the mind took such a detour after looking at a bee and blossoming tree. I don't know when Westman etched his but MEPH created his woodblock print in 1933. Both are lovely.

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