Life Hans Baluschek

1 life

1.1 childhood , youth (1870–1889)
1.2 years artist (1890–1894)
1.3 artistic development (1894–1914)
1.4 development during world war (1914–1918)
1.5 weimar years (1918–35)

life

hans baluschek, 1930



rain, 1917


childhood , youth (1870–1889)

hans baluschek born on 9 may 1870 in breslau, germany s sixth-largest city (now wrocław, poland), franz baluschek, surveyor , railroad engineer , wife. had 3 sisters, 2 of whom died of tuberculosis in childhood. after franco-prussian war , foundation of german empire in 1871, franz became independent engineer of railways, , lived time in smaller town of haynau (now chojnów, poland). during childhood hans baluschek developed fascination railroads later shown in paintings.

in 1876 family, 6-year-old hans, moved berlin, during next decade changed residence no less 5 times, living in succession of newly built apartments developed expressly workers. berlin found in midst of economic crisis following panic of 1873, franz baluschek fortunate in maintaining railroad employment , able support family in kleinbürgerlich (petite bourgeois) style amid family s less affluent proletarian neighbors.

following primary school, hans baluschek @ age 9 entered askanische gymnasium, secondary school in tempelhof-schöneberg district of berlin, offered curricula in humanities , natural sciences.

during 1880s, young baluschek profoundly impressed berlin exhibition of paintings russian artist vasily vereshchagin, works portrayed horrors of war, particularly russo-turkish war of 1877–78. debated in berlin artistic circles, graphic realism came shock some. baluschek began copy pictures , paint own war scenes in manner of vereshchagin, influence may detected in of baluschek s later works.

in 1887, father took job railroad on large german island of rügen, , family moved nearby stralsund, baluschek completed gymnasium education. in stralsund influenced instructor max schütte, taught students principles of socialism, particularly emphasizing relationship of economic , social issues — , fired because of left-wing political views. baluschek , classmates devoted studying then-popular political works of tolstoy , zola. when baluschek passed abitur (school-leaving exam) in 1889 , graduated gymnasium, stated wished become painter.

early years artist (1890–1894)

after graduating, baluschek admitted berlin university of arts (universität der künste), became acquainted german painter martin brandenburg, whom maintain lifelong friendship. university, however, remained quite conservative despite many new trends in arts, such popular french impressionism. instruction focused on traditional techniques , art history.

baluschek lived in schöneberg district of berlin. earliest known sketch book dates 1889 , includes self-portrait showing him in student dress. among works military , war scenes, along portrayals of street life in stralsund , berlin. in 1890s produced illustrations of class differences , proletarian life in berlin, in departed traditional techniques.

baluschek left arts university in 1893 , began work independent artist, focusing exclusively on social-class differences — made him outsider in conservative arts scene of wilhelmine germany. meanwhile, reading left-leaning works of gerhart hauptmann, tolstoy, ibsen, johannes schlaf und arno holz , heavily influenced literature of naturalism.

artistic development (1894–1914)

big city train station, 1904



hasenheide amusement park, 1895



city of workers, 1920



here family can make coffee, 1895

the main period of bakluschek s artistic development began in 1894 , extended 2 decades, until beginning of world war in 1914. baluschek identified opposition traditional representative art , forged relationships artists in circle dominated impressionist max liebermann (later classified nazis practitioner of degenerate art ). baluschek s paintings period show life on outskirts of berlin, construction of factories, apartment complexes , railroads booming. favorite themes included factories, cemeteries , above common working people of berlin. example, 1894 work noon (mittag) depicts women children bringing lunch baskets men employed @ factories, , evokes endless drudgery of working-class life, constant repetition of daily tasks. railwayman s evening free (eisenbahner-feierabend) in 1895, theme represented individual worker returns exhausted work against backdrop of railroad installations, smoke stacks , overhead tram wires, , greeted anxious children.

at time baluschek maintained friendly relationship avant-garde poet richard dehmel, known poems such working man (der arbeitmann) , fourth class (vierter klasse). baluschek produced cover illustration dehmel s woman , world (weib und welt), collection of poems appeared in 1896. baluschek developed relationships several left-leaning writers, among them poet , playwright arno holz, best known phantasus (1898), poetry collection describing starving artists of wedding district of berlin. holz baluscheck key figure of literary naturalism , spiritual mentor. time, baluschek developed own painting style, using watercolor , gouache techniques; seldom painted in oils. surface first prepared oil-chalk pencil, baluschek believed particularly receptive gray urban tones of working-class berlin.

in second half of 1890s baluschek progressively gained recognition in berlin arts scene, after exhibitions in 1895, 1896 , 1897 martin brandenburg. although baluschek had been shown earlier in small galleries, these first exposure larger public. while liebermann , other artists had painted proletarian themes, baluschek s work seen new , unusual. berlin art collector karl bröhan noted direct honesty of baluschek s slices of life disturbingly provocative. portrayal of inhumane living environment , bleak working conditions behind society s glitzy facade showed, said art critic willy pastor, more hidden behind scenes cozy story.

at these exhibitions, art critics wandered amazement picture picture, of them found lacking in taste , refinement. in such works hasenheide amusement park (1895), superficial holiday mood contrasts sour expressions of supposed merrymakers. in here family can make coffee (1895), worn , lined faces of women evoke similar mood, while in tingle-tangle (1890), patriotically decorated interior of nightspot contrasts risqué performance prostitute. in berlin amusement park, cigarette-smoking adolescent worker contrasts child blowing balloon, , watercolor new houses (1895) depicts monotonous rows of empty new tenements near factory.

at end of 19th century berlin art scene split 2 camps due dissatisfaction of innovative artists officially sanctioned exhibits in city s museums. under leadership of impressionist walter leistikow, xi art group established in 1892, , baluschek invited participate in xi exhibits. in 1898 many members of xi, led leistikow, formed berlin secession — among them baluschek, became group s secretary. secession enlisted german artists käthe kollwitz, otto nagel , heinrich zille, , championed french impressionism, pointillism , symbolism. baluschek regularly debuted work in secession exhibitions, becoming foil conservative critics. example, waldemar count von oriola, reichstag deputy national liberal party, termed work rampant travesty of aesthetic norms.

in 1900 baluschek fell in love stage actress charlotte von pazatka-lipinsky. painted artistic declaration of love in form of fairytale picture, in appeared elf giving rose lady resembling pzatka-lipinsky. married in 1902 , moved house in tiergarten district of berlin. however, romantic marriage proved childless , unsatisfying, , divorced in 1913.

baluschek profiled in 1904 first in monograph series hermann esswein titled modern illustrators, later included edvard munch, toulouse-lautrec , aubrey beardsley. esswein highlighted not baluschek s popular fairytale illustrations, gritty renderings of berlin working-class life.

in 1908 baluschek became member of board of directors of berlin secession, in capacity became involved in increasingly contentious debate. advent of expressionism led arguments among secession members. example, max beckmann complained of 1 brazen impudence after new breed of painters, , liebermann obstructed secession exhibit featuring henri matisse. in 1910, more avant-garde splinter group, new secession, led georg tappert , max pechstein, staged exhibition of works rejected berlin secession. internal controversy peaked in 1913, precipitating resignation of 42 artists secession, including entire board of directors, among them baluschek. same year baluschek, 43, married irene drösse, 25-year-old former art student. marriage endured , during world war irene gave birth 2 daughters.

development during world war (1914–1918)

war winter, 1917

the first world war had profound influence on arts scene in berlin , on individual artists. germany s declaration of war on russia , france led release of pent-up tensions had been building decades due strained international relations , repeated crises.

even in artistic community there optimistic patriotic expressions, although few german artists, such kollwitz , nagel, did not participate in wave of popular enthusiasm. baluschek , liebermann among contributed art critic paul cassierer s journal wartime (kriegszeit), attempt show support war effort artistic community, , weekly publication artists journal of war (künstlerblätter zum krieg). several former secession members, including beckmann , erich heckel, volunteered german army.

baluschek s patriotic stance @ odds longstanding aversion hohenzollern monarchy, perhaps reflected underlying resentment of pervasive influence of french art in germany. in 1915, contributed 2 dozen drawings war map published under auspices of hospital association. included illustrations of modern weapons accompanied glowing patriotic text, , grisly depictions of battle scenes , field hospitals.

although in 40s, baluschek volunteered military service, , in 1916 posted reservist first western front, eastern front. during hitch in army drafted more solemn depictions of battle scenes. (his close friend martin brandenburg, fellow secessionist, severely wounded in fighting, losing eye, , die wounds after war in 1919.) baluschek s 1917 painting homeland (zur heimat) depicts soldier s coffin bearing medals being loaded transport germany, , evokes soldier s patriotic sacrifice. end of war in 1918, catastrophic outcome germany, shook baluscheck deeply, , kept distance revolution spawned weimar republic. artistic output shrank few illustrations , self-portrait showing him somber expression.

world war i

















































the weimar years (1918–35)

baluschek s cover illustration, 1919

for baluschek artist, following years dominated illustrations of fairytales, , contributed little peter s journey moon (peterchens mondfahrt) in 1919 still considered classics of children s literature. baluschek illustrated other children s books, among them calendar tells (was der kalender erzählt), fairytale-land (in s märchenland) , little people, little animals, , little things (von menschlein, tierlein, dinglein), appearing in 1919, 1922 , 1924 respectively. illustrated 1925 edition of grimm s fairytales. meanwhile, produced posters , promotional materials theater , cinema, along drawings of costumes producers, , imaginative scenes of berlin life famed lutter & wegner wine bar.

like many other artists, balluschek found himself in crisis after war, seized opportunities, , decided become active in cultural education. supported production of film mother krause s journey happiness (1919), depicted cruelty of poverty , lauded communism saving force. in 1920, among founders of people s school of greater berlin (volkshochschule gross-berlin) , taught painting there.

baluschek among founders of league proletarian literature (bund für proletarische literatur), , in 1924 appointed literary advisory board of social democratic party s book circle. joined party in 1920 , served chairman of artists representatives schöneberg district. became advisor social democratic mayor gustav böss, , played leading role in foundation of welfare bureau berlin artists, of time chairman.

journey moon, 1919












































baluschek s cover illustration 1 hundred years of german railroads

baluschek illustrated number of periodicals, including social democratic illustrated national banner (illustrierte reichsbannerzeitung), , school books , novels; fascination rail transport shows in illustrations period. belonged left wing of social democrats, , comfortable activities of communists, sizeable political force in weimar germany. painting future (zukunft) appeared title page of communist journal hammer , sickle in 1920. baluschek among 10 german left-leaning artists contributed 1924 international antiwar conference in amsterdam. in 1929–31 director of greater berlin art exhibition.

baluschek s grave