Germany Symbolism


Wilhelm Schmurr was a German painter and co-founder of the Sonderbund in Düsseldorf. His style, characterized by clear expression, was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Symbolists, and Realists. He received several awards and medals for his work and was a member of various art associations. Schmurr taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and inspired by the farmers after the war, he created scenes of simple life and still lifes. He was awarded the Karl-Ernst-Osthaus-Preis and the Bundesverdienstkreuz erster Klasse and became an honorary member of various artist associations.


Louise Elisabeth Andrae was a German Post-Impressionist landscape painter and watercolorist. She studied with two landscape painters; Gustav Adolf Thamm in Dresden and Hans von Volkmann in Karlsruhe. She settled in Dresden, but spent long periods on the island of Hiddensee. There, she helped organize a group known as the Hiddensoer Künstlerinnenbund, an association of women artists that included Clara Arnheim, Elisabeth Büchsel, Käthe Loewenthal and Katharina Bamberg. They were regular exhibitors at an art venue known as the Blaue Scheune (Blue Barn), established in 1920 by Henni Lehmann. She also exhibited frequently with a group known as the Kunstkaten in Ahrenshoop.Wikipedia


Boris Georgievich Birger (Russian: Борис Георгиевич Биргер) was a Soviet artist of the second half of the twentieth century of Jewish origin. He is known as a portrait painter, a representative of "unofficial art", a follower of symbolism.
Boris Birger developed his individual style of portrait painting, recognizable by his colorism. He often portrayed representatives of the liberal creative intelligentsia and was twice expelled from the Union of Artists of the USSR because of his criticism of official cultural policy.
In the 1970s his work was recognized abroad, especially in Germany, and from 1990 he lived in that country.


Detlev Conrad Blunck was a German-Danish painter of the first half of the 19th century. He is known as a painter and graphic artist.
Detlev Blunck at the beginning of his career specialized mainly in historical painting, then he moved to the domestic genre and joined the ranks of the masters of domestic realism. Later Blunck devoted his work to religious motifs and developed his own style of painting, which strongly reflected the influence of the Nazarene movement, the German Romantic painters.


Eugen Felix Prosper Bracht was a German landscape painter.
A late Romanticist painter, Bracht was known for his moody landscapes and coastal scenes in North Germany, and began a sketching trip through Syria, Palestine and Egypt from 1880 to 1881. In 1882, he became a Professor of Landscape Painting at the Prussian Academy of Arts.
Later, Bracht became a representative of German Impressionism.
In 1901, he obtained a teaching position at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts that he held until 1919.


Jonas Burgert is a German figurative artist living and working in Berlin.
Jonas Burgert graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin and studied as a graduate student (Meisterschueler) under Prof. Dieter Hacker in Berlin, and his work has been characterized from the very beginning by its vivid originality.
Burgert's paintings are filled with fantastic figures of the most unimaginable proportions. In the spaces of his panoramic paintings, one is immersed in a visual chaos of narrative layers, amidst mysterious events, strange figures and creatures. Jonas Burgert's large-format paintings are dominated by the grotesque, the bizarre and the surreal. Nightmarish zombie-like figures invade his pictorial worlds, frightening and appealing at the same time.
Since 1998 his work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions around the world, Jonas Burgert is now very successful and his works are very willingly acquired by many galleries.


Auguste de Niederhäusern, better known as Rodo, was a Swiss sculptor and medallist. He is considered one of the most influential representatives of Swiss Symbolism.
In 1892 Rodo took part in the Salon de la Rose-Croix exhibition and for the next six years was a collaborator of Auguste Rodin.
Between 1900 and 1902, Rodot created several works for the Federal Palace in Bern, which was under construction: at the top of the pediment is a sculptural group symbolising political independence, executive and legislative power; he also created the capstones on the arched windows of the south façade.


Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach was a German artist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is known as a painter, graphic artist, representative of Symbolism and Art Nouveau style, as well as a public figure, the creator of the commune Himmelhof.
Diefenbach gained fame as an artist while he was still a young man. He made a successful living by creating illustrations for children's books and watercolor copies. In 1882, he announced the creation of his own doctrine, which included ideas about living in harmony with nature, rejecting monogamy and religion, practicing naturism and vegatarianism. The artist then also created the famous 68-meter frieze work "Per aspera ad astra". Diefenbach became a major artist on the island of Capri, while in his homeland his work was neglected.


Anselm Feuerbach was a famous 19th-century German painter, an outstanding master of the historical genre.
Anselm Feuerbach was also a skilful portrait painter, the majority of his paintings are in the style of Neoclassicism. His finest masterpieces are nowadays kept in museums in Germany, and his biography is closely linked to Italy, where the artist lived for a considerable part of his life.


Caspar David Friedrich was a German painter of the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries. He is known as a painter, draughtsman, watercolorist and is considered a key figure of early German Romanticism.
Caspar David Friedrich was the leader of the so-called Dresden Romantics, known for their emotionally intense landscapes. The artist himself viewed nature as a reflection of the soul and a symbol of religious experiences, creating works with deep symbolism. He actively used landscape to convey his emotions and used the technique of transporting the viewer into the virtual space of the painting. His works often depicted figures immersed in the contemplation of nature, facing infinity, which created a unique effect.


Robert Lvovich Genin (Russian: Роберт Львович Генин) was a Jewish-born artist of the first half of the twentieth century who worked in several countries, including the Russian Empire, Germany, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the USSR. He is known as a painter and graphic artist.
Robert Genin worked in a variety of genres including landscapes, portraits, genre compositions and nudes. He also did lithography, woodcuts and etching. His style evolved from Jugendstil and Symbolism in the early 1900s to Expressionism after the First World War. He later came to a kind of lyrical primitivism. The artist worked in both easel and monumental painting and was influenced by various artists.


Ernst Otto Greiner was a German painter and graphic artist. He studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Otto Greiner was one of the outstanding masters of German Art Nouveau. The painter's mature style, characterised by unexpected spatial juxtapositions and sharply focused photographic naturalism, was strongly influenced by the work of Max Klinger.


Friedrich Gunkel was a German painter. Gunkel studied at the Academy in Kassel. Here he was a student of Ludwig Emil Grimm and Friedrich Wilhelm Müller and was soon considered the best student in the drawing class. He went to Berlin and worked in the studio of Peter von Cornelius as his assistant. From May 9, 1847, he lived in Rome as a German Roman and became a member of the German Association of Artists. In 1856 he formed a community with the sculptors Gustav Kaupert and Heinrich Gerhardt and the painter Heinrich Dreber. Gunkel's most famous work was the Hermannsschlacht, a monumental history painting that the Bavarian King Maximilian II had commissioned in 1857 for the Maximilianeum and that Gunkel completed in Munich between 1862 and 1864. Destroyed in World War II, it survives only in photographs and reproductions.


Thomas Häfner was a realistic and fantastic art painter. Häfner was a member of a group of German artists who called themselves the Young Realists, formed in Düsseldorf in the mid-Fifties.
Escaping the horrors of the Second World War, he live for a decade in Ceylon (1938-1948). He studied at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf. Detail from his painting "Lucifer" is used to illustrate the novel "Moravagine" by Blaise Cendrars.


Ferdinand Heilbuth was a nineteenth-century German painter who spent much of his career in France. He is particularly known as a watercolorist, one of the first members of the Society of French Watercolorists.
Heilbuth initially became famous for his portraits done in the style of Titian and Rembrandt. Later, however, he abandoned the portrait genre entirely in favor of historical and everyday subjects and began to depict scenes from the high society of past times. Then, having become a plein air painter, he painted landscapes in Paris and made sketches in London. His paintings were distinguished by their lightness, airiness and masterful technique, and his watercolors were especially skillful.


Hermann Hendrich was a German painter of the last quarter of the nineteenth and first third of the twentieth centuries. He is known as a painter known for his works in the Romantic and Old Germanic style.
Hendrich considered the canvases and interior for the "Walpurgis Hall" near Thale, created in 1901, to be the pinnacle of his work. For the "Nibelungen Hall" on Mount Drachenfels, opened in 1913 in honor of Richard Wagner, he painted 12 canvases based on ancient Germanic legends. The artist also created illustrations for Goethe's works, as well as exhibitions in the "Hall of German Sagas" in Solingen.
Hendrich was a co-founder of the Verdandi Union, which opposed modernism in art. A square in Berlin, Gendrichplatz, is named in his honor.


Ludwig von Hofmann is a German painter, graphic artist and designer. The influence of Historicism, Art Nouveau, Symbolism and New Realism can be felt in the works of Ludwig von Hofmann at different periods of his art.
Ludwig von Hoffmann studied painting at the academies of fine arts in Dresden, Karlsruhe and Munich. Since 1898 he was a member of the cultural movement Berlin Secession.
After the National Socialists came to power in Germany, some of his works were classified as degenerate art, but most of them continued to be exhibited in museums in Germany.


Ferdinand Keller was a German painter of the last third of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is known as a genre and historical painter as well as a teacher.
Keller earned his first major success in 1867 with his painting The Death of King Philip II of Spain. In his monumental works, he celebrated historical, dynastic, and cultural episodes in the history of Germany and Baden. One of his famous works is the painting "Apotheosis of Kaiser Wilhelm I", which was purchased by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Keller's works now grace the halls of theaters including the Baden State Theater and the Semper Opera in Dresden.


Georg Kolbe was a German sculptor of the first half of the twentieth century. He is known as a master of Classicism and Symbolism. Throughout most of his professional career he was an artist in demand by various German authorities.
Georg Kolbe, despite the strong influence of the Expressionists, managed to develop his own unique style. He left a notable mark not only in sculpture, his artistic legacy includes a large number of drawings and hundreds of engravings.
His biography is closely connected with Berlin, where he lived for more than 40 years. Kolbe is named for the prize awarded by the Artists' Union of Berlin. The artist's former studio now houses a museum with permanent solo exhibitions of works by renowned sculptors of modern art.


Erich Kuithan was a German artist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is known as a painter, graphic artist, graphic artist, illustrator and poster artist.
Erich Kuithan at different periods of his career was fascinated by modernism, symbolism and expressionism. His artistic legacy includes many paintings, drawings, illustrations, and designs for furniture, clothing, ex-libris, porcelain wares, and Art Nouveau advertising posters. Kuithan has conducted study tours, exhibited at art clubs, worked as an illustrator for magazines, and created illustrations for children's books.


Horst G. Loewel is a German-born painter who lives and works in Canada and Spain.
Loewel is a representative of the fantastical-surrealistic trend in art. He meticulously and realistically depicts landscapes of another universe filled with symbolism. Thanks to his boundless imagination, the artist shows us a fabulous, unreal world in which man has almost no place.


Jeanne Mammen was a twentieth-century German artist. She is known as a graphic artist and draftsman, a representative of modernism, a prominent figure in the artistic life of the Weimar Republic.
Jeanne Mammen developed an artistic style close to the New Materialism school. As she grew older, her work became more symbolic; after 1945, the artist moved towards abstractionism. She worked for fashion magazines, created movie posters, and illustrated erotic poetry. Mammen actively developed collage techniques, as well as creating portraits and caricatures, and sketching street types.


Gabriel Cornelius Ritter von Max was a Prague-born Austrian painter.
Gabriel von Max was a significant artist to emerge from the Piloty School, because he abandoned the themes of the Grunderzeitliche (genre and history), in order to develop an allegorical-mystical pictorial language, which became typical of Secessionist Art.


Johann Georg Müller was a German painter and graphic artist. He was studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.
Müller's work was heavily influenced by the Expressionist and Surrealist movements, and his paintings and graphic works often featured bold colors and abstract, dreamlike imagery. He was known for his use of symbolic motifs and his interest in mythological and religious themes.
During World War II, Müller was drafted into the German army and served on the Eastern Front. After the war, he returned to Munich and resumed his artistic career. He became a member of the German Expressionist group "Die Neue Gruppe" and participated in several exhibitions throughout Europe.
His work continues to be exhibited and studied around the world, and his legacy has had a significant impact on the development of modern and contemporary art in Germany and beyond.


Ronald Paris, a renowned German painter and graphic artist, left an indelible mark on the art world. His journey in art began with studies in glass art and stained glass, transitioning to mural painting, where he honed his craft under notable mentors at the Visual Arts Academy in Weissensee, Berlin.
Ronald Paris's career was marked by his unique portrayal of subjects, often challenging the prevailing narratives of his time. Notably, his 1961 triptych "Village Games in Wartenberg" faced criticism for its honest depiction of workers, diverging from the idealized views enforced by East Germany's leadership. His dedication to realism and expressive content continued throughout his career, culminating in notable works such as the mural "Triumph des Todes" and the altar piece for the Trinitatis-Kirche in Sondershausen.
Throughout his life, Ronald Paris's works were celebrated and exhibited across Germany, earning him prestigious awards like the Käthe-Kollwitz-Medaille and the Nationalpreis der DDR. His legacy endures through his contributions to various exhibitions and his role as a professor at the Burg Giebichenstein Arts Academy in Halle.
For art collectors and enthusiasts, Ronald Paris's oeuvre offers a deep dive into the essence of German postwar and contemporary art, embodying a profound realism that captures the spirit of his times.
If you're passionate about exploring the rich tapestry of German art, Ronald Paris's work offers a captivating blend of historical insight and artistic innovation. Sign up for updates to stay informed about sales, auctions, and exhibitions featuring Ronald Paris's art, and delve into the world of a painter who not only witnessed but also painted history with a bold and realistic brushstroke.


Dagmar Riese is a German painter, graphic artist and sculptor. He studied sculpture, painting and restoration at the art school in Flensburg. He was also a private pupil of the Basel artist Barbara Linhart. Dagmar Riese currently lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.


Ferdinand Staeger was a Czech-born German symbolist painter and graphic artist, illustrator and fabric designer.
Staeger studied at the School of Technical Design in Brno and then the School of Applied Arts in Prague, from 1908 he lived in Munich and collaborated with the magazine Jugend. He was a participant in the First World War, his war drawings are characterized by humanity. After the war he illustrated books by Gerhard Hauptmann, Josef von Eichendorff, Eduard Mörike and Adalbert Stifter with great success.
During the Third Reich, Staeger collaborated with the authorities by painting several propaganda pictures, for which he was awarded the title of professor. In 1943 he lost his home in Munich to Allied bombs and many works were lost.
After World War II, he painted in an impressionist style, creating paintings of mythical, mystical, symbolic and religious themes. Many works belong to the genre of "magic realism". Staeger is also known as a tapestry designer, master of etching and ex-libris, and was a member of the Association of German Artists. His wife Sidonie Springer (1878-1937) was also a painter and graphic artist.


Gyorgy Stefula is a German painter, illustrator, costume designer and stage designer.
Stefula studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg and the Higher School of Painting in Altona, and married Dorothea Hüter, who became his creative collaborator. After World War II, he participated in numerous exhibitions in Germany and abroad. Together with Dorothea, they frequently exhibited their work and collaborated on several projects, including stage and costume design for the National Opera in Munich.
Among Stefula's unique works in the spirit of Henri Rousseau or Pittura Metafisica are imaginary, fantastical landscapes and incredible portraits, magical still lifes and animals; they are full of symbolism and mythological references.


Carl Strathmann was a German painter in the Art Nouveau and Symbolist styles.
He was a member of the artists' association, Allotria and, briefly, the Munich Secession, but left after some unspecified disputes. In 1904, together with René Reinicke, Hans Beat Wieland, Rudolf Köselitz, Wilhelm Jakob Hertling, and several others, he co-founded the Munich Watercolorists' Association. He exhibited with the Deutscher Künstlerbund and the Berlin Secession, which held a major showing of his work in 1917.


Hans Thoma was a German painter.
In spite of his studies under various masters, his art has little in common with modern ideas, and is formed partly by his early impressions of the simple idyllic life of his native district, partly by his sympathy with the early German masters, particularly with Albrecht Altdorfer and Lucas Cranach the Elder. In his love of the details of nature, in his precise drawing of outline, and in his predilection for local coloring, he has distinct affinities with the Pre-Raphaelites.


Paul Thumann was a German painter of the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is known as a portrait painter and book illustrator.
Paul Thumann created drawings that decorated the works of famous authors such as Goethe, Tennyson, Chamisso, Gamerling and Heine. According to critics, his illustrations were characterized by elegance and subtlety of lines, expressiveness of human and poetic images. Stylistically, the master's works approached Art Nouveau, popular at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Thumann also created paintings on historical, religious and mythological themes.


Jan Verkade, birth name Johannes Sixtus Gerhardus Verkade, later changed to Willibrord Verkade, was a Dutch and German Benedictine monk, Post-Impressionist and Symbolist painter.
Jan was captivated by art from his youth and began studying painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam, later in Paris he met Paul Gauguin, Paul Sérusier and other Symbolists, which played a major role in his worldview. In the last years of the 19th century, Verkade joined the Nabis (Les Nabis), a group of Symbolist artists. Fascinated by esoteric mysticism, the Kabbalah and Eastern magical teachings, he, however, adhered to the canons of Christianity.
In 1893 Verkade went to a Benedictine monastery in Boiron, Germany, painted churches and monasteries, and in 1902 he became a priest and changed his name to Willibrord Verkade. He continued to paint until 1927, but was no longer able to reach the level of his French period, considered his best period. However, he made a significant contribution to the Beuron school of art, which was founded by a confederation of Benedictine monks in Germany at the end of the 19th century. Up until his death in 1946, Verkade led a reclusive life, writing several religious, historical, and scientific linguistic works over the years.


Heinrich Vogeler was a German artist and philosopher, a representative of the German Art Nouveau. A versatile and talented artist, he painted, watercolored, composed poems, designed, designed and decorated. Over time, his style of art changed over a wide range.
During World War I, from 1914 to 1917, Vogeler was on the Eastern Front as a volunteer and made sketches, which resulted in his pacifist sentiments.
In the mid-1920s he visited the Soviet Union several times and his impressions resulted in paintings in his own "complex style: "Karelia and Murmansk" (1926), "Building a New Life in the Soviet Republics of Central Asia" (1927), and "Baku" (1927). In 1931 Vogeler received an invitation to work in the USSR. The coming to power of the Nazis in Germany made it impossible for him to return home, and after Hitler's invasion Vogeler among many was deported to the Kazakh SSR, where he died.


Ludwig von Herterich was a German painter of the late nineteenth and first third of the twentieth centuries. He is known as a painter, teacher, younger brother and pupil of the famous painter Johann Herterich.
Ludwig von Herterich was mainly engaged in portrait and historical-monumental painting, he participated in the artistic design of the Wolfsbrunn Castle in the Ore Mountains. He is considered one of the brightest representatives of the Munich school of painting. He was a member of the Munich Secession and the German Artists' Association. He was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit for Science and Arts, King Ludwig III also awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown. This entitled the artist to personal nobility and he was allowed to mention his family name with the prefix "von".


Ludwig von Löfftz was a German artist of the last third of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He is known as a painter and graphic artist, genre painter and landscape painter.
Ludwig von Löfftz created his works in a style close to the works of German and Dutch painters of the XVI-XVII centuries. His works were distinguished by clear drawing, skillful play of light and shadow, as well as deep empathy with the events depicted on the canvas. Among his famous works are "Cardinal, playing the organ", "Greed and Love", "Erasmus and his school", "Old Woman", "Eurydice", "Changers".


Hans von Marees was a German artist of the mid-nineteenth century. He is known as a painter and graphic artist, a representative of symbolism.
Von Marees was a prominent not only practitioner but also art theorist. He created the "Roman Circle" of German artists, whose activities in Italy seriously influenced the development of fine art of the turn. Marees 's work was centered on the theme of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, he sought to achieve the ideal relationship between form and space, as in the art of the ancient Greeks and the Italian Renaissance. At the height of his career, he turned to mythological subjects and developed a sophisticated technique, creating deep and saturated colors with layers of oil paint.


Carl von Marr was an American-born German painter of the late nineteenth and first third of the twentieth centuries. He is known as a painter and teacher, a professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Carl von Marr worked in religious, mythological, and domestic genres, and also painted portraits. He received gold medals in Germany and the United States, where his works were exhibited. The master was a member of the board of directors of the German Artists Association.


Emil Rudolf Weiss was a German painter, typographer, graphic designer and poet.
Weiss studied at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts, then at the Julian Academy, and published his first collection of poetry. In 1895, he began his work in book arts by designing typefaces for the art magazine Pan. He also worked on the design and illustration of various publications. In 1907, he joined the Berlin Secession.
Weiss's first graphic works were influenced by Symbolism and Jugendstil, as well as the works of Edvard Munch and Felix Vallotton. From 1910, Weiss increasingly defined himself as a painter, creating still lifes, portraits, landscapes and genre scenes. Weiss developed many typefaces and coin designs. In 1907-33 Weiss taught at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Berlin, which from 1924 was merged with the State Higher School of Art. From the 1920s, Emil Rudolf Weiss was the representative of the Flechtheim Gallery.
The Nazi regime subjected Emil Weiss to persecution, banning his paintings as well as teaching, and he died of a heart attack in 1942.


Jules Wengel (full name Julius Wihelm Ludwig Wengel) was a French painter and illustrator of German origin. He painted in various genres, including portraits, landscapes, and religious works. Many of his paintings were done in watercolor, and the illustrations had elements of symbolism and mysticism.


Julie Wolfthorn was a German artist, representative of the Symbolic Art Nouveau movement and member of the Berlin Secession. She studied painting in Berlin and then in Paris.
Julia Wolfthorn worked a lot and fruitfully, took part in exhibitions. She is widely known for her portraits of the poet Richard Demel, the family of the writer Gustav Landauer, the family of the architect Hermann Muthesius, the actress Tilla Dürje, and other Berlin celebrities of the time.
After the Nazis came to power, Julia Wolfthorn remained in Berlin, working with the 'Union of Jewish Culture'. In 1942 she and her sister were deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp.


Antanas Žmuidzinavičius was a Lithuanian painter and art collector, celebrated for his significant contributions to Lithuanian art and culture. Educated at the Veiveriai Teachers' Seminary, he initially worked as a teacher while advancing his art education in Warsaw. Žmuidzinavičius's passion for art led him to Paris, where he studied at prestigious institutions such as the Académie Colarossi, enhancing his painting and drawing skills.
During World War I and the interwar period, Žmuidzinavičius played an instrumental role in safeguarding Lithuanian art and culture. He was a pivotal figure in organizing art exhibitions, and he dedicated considerable efforts to the collection and preservation of artworks amid political turmoil. His commitment to art extended beyond creation; he was deeply involved in education, teaching drawing at the Kaunas Art School and influencing generations of artists.
One of Žmuidzinavičius's most enduring legacies is the Devils Museum in Kaunas, a unique institution dedicated to sculptures and carvings of devils from around the world. The museum, which started with Žmuidzinavičius's collection, has grown to house over 3,000 items, reflecting a wide range of cultural perspectives on the devil. This museum not only showcases Žmuidzinavičius's fascination with folklore and mythology but also serves as a testament to his broad interests and contributions to Lithuanian heritage.
Antanas Žmuidzinavičius's work and his Devils Museum continue to captivate visitors, offering insights into Lithuanian culture, history, and art. For those intrigued by his life, contributions, and the unique devil collection, the Devils Museum in Kaunas is a must-visit, embodying the spirit of one of Lithuania's most notable artists.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, the legacy of Antanas Žmuidzinavičius provides a fascinating glimpse into the rich cultural tapestry of Lithuania. Sign up for updates to stay informed on new product sales and auction events related to the incredible work of Antanas Žmuidzinavičius and to explore the depth of Lithuanian art and history further.


Oskar Bruno Zwintscher was a German painter. He is often associated with the Jugendstil movement. From 1887 to 1890 he studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig and, from 1890 to 1892 was a student at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. After his studies, he became a free-lance painter in Meißen, where he received a stipendium, awarded to Saxon painters by the "Munkeltsche Legat". In 1898, he presented his first large collection of paintings to the public. That same year, he was a prizewinner at a contest held by the entrepreneur Ludwig Stollwerck to select artists for a new line of trading cards. His first series of cards, "Jahreszeiten" (The Seasons), was published later that year. This was followed in 1900 by "Das Gewitter" (The Tempest). From 1903, he served as a professor at the Dresden Academy. He was an unshakable opponent of impressionism. Despite this, and his involvement with advertising, much of his work is openly erotic or has an eerie quality. His style has been likened to a contemporary version of Holbein or Cranach, but also contains elements of Art Nouveau.