Walter Gramatté - Works from the years 1916 to 1929

17.03. - 28.04.2018

Walter Gramatté's work seems to be that of a mature artist, despite his short creative period - he was only 32 years old at the time he died. His talent was recognized early, so he already had a contract with a publisher for his graphic works at the age of 21. Initially, his art was closely interwoven with the events of the time. World War I, to which he volunteered, left its mark on him and his perspective. The focus of his work was the human being and the exploration of the self. During these years he was influenced by Max Beckmann, whose Berlin studio Gramatté rented, worked in, and became a meeting place for intellectuals. After turbulent years of hospitalization, discharge, re-enlistment and collapse, he met his future wife Sonia, a Russian music virtuoso, in 1920. From then on she was his favorite subject, and he often depicted her in everyday situations, such as on the sofa or at the table. His color palette brightened and became more intense. Another turning point was a stay in Spain. The young couple left home for two years due to a housing shortage and Gramatté's illness. In the warm light of Iberia, he turned increasingly to watercolor and landscape painting. Influences of his two friends, the Brücke artists Erich Heckel and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff became apparent. Back in Germany, he died of tuberculosis in 1929. Just three years later, a memorial exhibition toured ten German cities honoring Gramatté's work. For further information, the two catalogues raisonnés are available:: Walter Gramatté (1897-1929) - catalog raisonnés of oil paintings, edited by Claus Pese, revised by Ruth Negendanck; Wienand Verlag Cologne 1994, German-English. Gramatté's graphic work, edited and introduced by Ferdinand Eckhardt; Amalthea Verlag, Vienna 1932.

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