Ernst Barlach
Ernst Heinrich Barlach was a notable German sculptor, painter, and writer born in 1870, who became an influential figure in the early 20th-century art scene. Initially trained as an art teacher, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and later at the Académie Julien in Paris. Barlach's artistic breakthrough occurred during a trip to Russia in 1906, where he developed a profound understanding of the symbolic meanings of form, which significantly influenced his sculptures and writings. His works gained considerable acclaim, leading to a period of prolific creativity supported by art dealer Paul Cassirer, who promoted him from 1907 to 1926.
Despite his successes, Barlach's career faced challenges with the rise of National Socialism, as his plays were banned and labeled as "degenerate art." He continued to write, producing significant works such as the novel "Der gestohlene Mond," which was published posthumously and celebrated as a masterpiece. Barlach's literary style often reflected absurdist themes and a unique humor, drawing from his personal experiences and the journey of self-realization. He passed away in 1938, leaving behind a rich legacy housed in memorials and museums dedicated to his art and writings, including his studio in Güstrow and the Barlach House in Hamburg.
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Ernst Barlach
German sculptor
- Born: January 2, 1870
- Birthplace: Wedel, Germany
- Died: October 24, 1938
- Place of death: Güstrow, Germany
Biography
Ernst Heinrich Barlach was the first of four sons born to the physician Georg Gottlieb Barlach and his wife, Johanna Louise Vollert Barlach. From 1877 until 1884, they lived in Ratzeburg, an island city surrounded by four beautiful lakes. When Ernst was fourteen, his father died of pneumonia. After moving to Schönberg, Barlach met Friedrich Düsel, who encouraged his writing and offered constructive criticism.
Barlach went to Hamburg in 1888 to train as an art teacher. He enrolled in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden in 1891 to study sculpture and graduated in 1895. The same year saw the first edition of his successful book on drawing human subjects, Figurenzeichnen. He next studied at the Académie Julien in Paris, but felt alienated by French culture and returned to Germany. His breakthrough came in 1906, when he traveled to Kharkov to visit his brother. While in Russia, Barlach realized that everything visible also has symbolic meaning, that all forms are possible, and that personal experience is universal. This led to new, clear lines in his sculpture and to his first attempts at writing drama. After Barlach’s sketches of Russian beggars were displayed in the Berlin Secession, the art dealer and publisher Paul Cassirer offered Barlach an annual income for his sculptures, drawings, and literary works. Cassirer supported and promoted Barlach from 1907 until 1926, by which time Barlach’s works were in great demand.
In 1908, Barlach gained custody of his son Nikolaus, who was born in 1906 to the model Rosa Schwab. In 1909, after studying in Florence on a Villa Romana scholarship, he settled permanently in Güstrow. Barlach was a prolific correspondent, but he allowed few visitors to his home. Although his dramas were well- received by the critics, not all of his productions were successful. He was disappointed by a performance of Die echten Sedemunds, and so he did not attend the premiere of Die Sündflut in 1924. Still, the play received the Kleist Prize. In 1925 he was made an honorary member of the Munich Academy of the Arts. His autobiography, Ein selbsterzähltes Leben, ends before his most successful period. By 1927, he had so many commissions that a married pair of sculptors named Bernhard and Marga Böhmer came to work with him. In 1933, the Prussian Academy made him a Knight of the Order Pour le Mérite.
His fortunes were reversed by the rise of National Socialism. In 1935 the Nazis forbade the staging of his plays, and in 1937 they sought to defame him by including his works in their exhibit of “degenerate art.” During his last years, Barlach worked on his novel Der gestohlene Mond. It was considered a masterpiece when published posthumously after the war. Barlach was stylistically ahead of his time, and his writing had more in common with the theater of the absurd or the nouveau roman than it did with most other writing of his time. He wanted to capture the intangible in his writing, and in doing so he often reveals a keen sense of humor. Much of his literary work derives from his own experiences and portrays people on the way to self- realization. Barlach died of a heart attack and is buried in Ratzeburg, where his father’s house is now a Barlach memorial. The studio in Güstrow is a museum that houses most of his manuscripts, and the Barlach House in Hamburg holds much of his art.