Josef Madlener

Josef Madlener (* April 16, 1881 in Amendingen, † December 27, 1967 in Memmingen ) was a German poet and painter.

Works

His works have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, and he also wrote some children's Christmas books such as The Christ child is born (1929) and The Book of the Christ Child (1938). His Christmas images also appeared in several postcard series

The most famous image Madleners is "The Mountain Spirit," that is dated to the period 1925-1930. This image was as reproduction in possession of JRR Tolkien and is considered as the inspiration for his fictional character Gandalf, the main character in the novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

A very special importance to this Madlener his mid 20s resulting image cycle God, earth and eternity, as this in a condensed way its Christian mystical philosophy and visionary world view reflected. 1927 Madlener even wrote a request to the Executive Board of the Universal Film AG With the request to film UFA Berlin this image cycle: " ... that belongs to the world, but that is only possible through the film. " At that time he was so unsuccessful.

In an interview Madleners daughter Julie estimated (* 1910), the emergence of the image "The Mountain Spirit " in 1925/26. She also noted that the postcard in the late 1920s, was moved from Munich Ackermann Verlag in a folder with three or four similar motifs from German mythology: a fairy in the woods, a stag with a glowing cross in its antlers ( Hubertus ), Rubezahl and possibly another.

The whereabouts of the originals was over 60 years unknown until they appeared in July 2005 at an auction at Sotheby's and were sold for 84,000 pounds sterling.