Dear jgreen,
The original title of "The Radio Addict" is "Der Radionist", by the
German artist Kurt Günther.
Kurt Günther was born in Gera (capital of the former principality
Thuringia-Reuß) in 1893. In 1909, Günther took private drawing lessons
at Paul Neidhardt (1873-1951). He then became a student of the
then-famous Austrian painter Richard Müller (1874-1954), who was
professor at the Academy of Arts in Dresden (Saxony). During his time
at the Dresden Academy, Günther met George Grosz (1893-1959), who
would become one of the most important exponents of German modern art
painting in the 1920s.
After World War I, Günther first turned towards Expressionism; later,
however, he developed his very own variant of the Neue Sachlichkeit
(New Objectivity) style, influenced by his former teacher Müller and
his friend, the significant painter Otto Dix (1891-1969). Among his
colleague artists, Kurt Günther was regarded one of the most momentous
German painters of their time.
He became professor of graphic arts and created numerous paintings,
mostly in oil and water color. His favorite subjects were objectives,
portraits and figures, mainly young women and nudes.
His painting "Der Radionist" dates from 1927, a time when the still
very new public broadcasting (since 1923) had caused a "radio craze"
in Germany.
Two other paintings of Kurt Günther are:
"Sitzender weiblicher Akt" (Female Nude Seated), ink and water color,
undated
http://www.germanexpressionism.com/exhibitions/summer2000/images/Gunther1.jpg
(Source: Kunsthandel Jörg Maaß - German Expressionism)
"Prädestination" (Predestination), lithography, 1920
http://www.finearts-berlin.com/assets/images/Gunther.JPG
(Source: Kunsthandel Ralf Swierczyna)
Kurt Günther, politically tending to the left, lost his professorship
under the National Socialists in 1933 and was not allowed to work
anymore. After World War II and the end of the Nazi regime, Günther
stayed in Thuringia, which was now a part of Communist Eastern
Germany, and taught the arts at Gera again. He died in 1955 in
Stadtroda (Thuringia, former East Germany).
Unfortunately, "Der Radionist" is in private hands. There is
absolutely no information about the current owner; even the
Kunstsammlung Gera (Gera Museum of Arts), home to many of Günther's
and his colleagues' works, was not able to say anything about the
whereabouts of the painting. Also, no reproductions are known to be
produced or for sale from any source.
Sources:
Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts.
Published by E.A. Seemann, Leipzig, 1955.
Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, Bio-Bibliographischer Index, Band 4.
Published by K.G. Saur, 2000. ISBN 3-598-23910-6.
artnet.com: Research Library - Grosz, George
http://www.artnet.com/library/03/0350/T035094.asp
Galerie Saxonia: Biographie Richard Müller
http://www.saxonia.com/rmvita.htm
Thüringer Maler: Künstler, by Andreas Gockel
http://www.thueringer-maler.de/k%FCnstler.htm
Chronik des 20. Jahrunderts. Published by Chronik Verlag, 1983. ISBN
3-88379-020-6.
Search terms used:
radionist
://www.google.de/search?q=radionist&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=de&meta=
"kurt günther" maler
://www.google.de/search?q=%22kurt+g%C3%BCnther%22+maler&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&start=10&sa=N
gera "kurt günther"
://www.google.de/search?q=gera+%22kurt+g%C3%BCnther%22&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&start=20&sa=N
"kurt günther" "richard müller"
://www.google.de/search?q=%22kurt+g%C3%BCnther%22+%22richard+m%C3%BCller%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=de&meta=
gera "otto dix"
://www.google.de/search?q=gera+%22otto+dix%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=de&meta=
"kurt günther" 1893 1955
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22kurt+g%C3%BCnther%22+1893+1955&meta=
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Scriptor |
