Name Marcus Behmer | Role Writer | |
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Died September 12, 1958, Berlin, Germany | ||
Marcus Michael Douglas Behmer (1 October 1879 in Weimar – 12 September 1958 in Berlin) was a German writer and book illustrator, graphic designer and painter.
Contents
- Early life and family
- Life
- Graphics
- Book illustrations
- Werkausgaben
- Musical compositions songs based on poems by
- Designs for the Reichsdruckerei
- Solo exhibitions
- Group exhibitions
- References
Early life and family
Marcus Behmer was a son of the painter Hermann Behmer (born November 13, 1831 in Merzien ; in July 1915 in Weimar ) and a grandson of Merziener Oberamt's Friedrich Behmer and his wife Elise Behmer, youngest daughter of the poet Philippine Engelhard. His uncle Rudolf Behmer (born November 13, 1831 in Merzien; February 12, 1902 in Berlin ) - known as a breeder of Merino sheep - was the twin brother of his father. Their sister Louise, the aunt of Marcus was with Heinrich von Nathusius married (1824-1890). His brother Joachim Behmer was also active as an artist.
Life
His artistic beginnings were, as he writes in a letter in 1896, with his first major success with the illustrations for Wilde's Salome in Insel-Verlag, 1903. The early works show the influence of Illustration Art Aubrey Beardsley. In the past reception it is this initial dependence in his Salome 's undoing, since many art historians call Behmer afterwards, but the later the inaccurate, as Beardsley epigones. It is true that he soon broke away from this influence and in parallel with the rise of Expressionism and the new impulses of the Wiener Werkstätte developed only its inherent design.
On 1 October 1903 Behmer entered military service, was appointed a corporal on 10 June 1904 and promoted on 22 September 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he participated in the WWI (in Flanders and in Poland). In the summer of 1917 he fell ill "after an operation in the field" hard and was six weeks in the military hospital of Jarny. During his time in the army, many so-called "comrades' portraits" emerged, usually reduced, although finely crafted profile views of young soldiers.
From 1902 yielded Behmer illustrations for books, designed initials and writings and was responsible for carefully planned book facilities. He worked for the Cranach Press of Count Harry Kessler and especially in numerous articles for the monthly magazine " The Island ", for the Insel-Verlag . For this publisher he also designed an internationally especially perceived work Illustration consequence to Philipp Otto Runge : The Fisherman un Fru syner . Also for other publishers worked Behmer, such. As for Paul Cassirer publishing house, where one of his major works, the 40 incurred in 1912 etchings to Voltaire's Zadig appeared. Like many artists of book art movement came Behmer already in the 1920s in financial difficulties, but stopped at the (in his words) "small format" firmly, place such as Alfred Kubin (with which Behmer compared in later years) a career as to strive gallery artists.
Close friends Behmer was, among other things with the family of the writer Ernst Hardt, with the painter Alexander Olbricht and also with the sculptor and painter Dorothea Werner (born Leiding) and her husband.
Behmer already since 1903 a member was in the first homosexual organization in the world in Berlin. Until now, little known that Behmer was sentenced in April 1937 by a court in Konstanz to imprisonment of two years and was arrested in Freiburg and other places in southern Germany. At times he was given the opportunity to work as an artist in prison. The works produced in this period are mostly calligraphic designed tablets with Greek text (prayers and Bible quotes), besides also drawings full of bitterness and irony.
From 1943 Behmer lived at the family home of Donata Helmrich, the daughter of Ernst Hardt, in Berlin-Charlottenburg. After he was bombed out in Berlin in early 1944, he came to late autumn the same year on the estate of Werner family under that domain United Nuhnen in Frankfurt / Oder. The rest of his life he spent in West Berlin. Dorothea Werner took care of him from 1958 until his death.
Renowned museums and collections as the graphic collection of the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Klingspor Museum for calligraphy and typography in Offenbach or the collection Sternweiler in Berlin today houses works by Marcus Behmer. A critical appraisal of his work and his art-historical importance is but from today.