Werner Graeff
(Wuppertal-Sonnborn, Germany 1901 -1978 Blackburg, Virginia, USA)
"ALS 2"
on board 44 x 76 cm
signed 'Werner Graeff ' (l.r.); signed, titled and dated 'Werner Graeff, 1960, ALS2' on verso, and the top indicated 'oben'
Notes
Werner Graeff's influence on the development of modern art was important. He started painting in an impressionistic style, then turned to cubist landscapes and wood sculptures and woodcuts. From 1921, he attended the 'Bauhaus' in Weimar as a student. In the same year he joined the Dutch group 'De Stijl', with members such as Theo van Doesburg, Piet Mondriaan, Bart van der Leck and Gerrit Rietveld. He was an active member and wrote for the magazine 'De Stijl'.
In 1923 he and Hans Richter (1888-1976) founded the 'Zeitschrift für Elementare Gestaltung', or 'G'. The main contributors were Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig Hilberseimer, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, Theo van Doesburg, Hans Arp and Kurt Schwitters. Piet Mondriaan, Viking Eggeling, Naum Gabo, Antoine Pevsner, Ernst Schön, George Grosz, John Heartfield, Tristan Tzara and Man Ray all wrote for the magazine as well. '
Click photo to enlarge
Category
Modern 20th -21st century