Paul Citroen

Paul Citroen (* December 15, 1896 in Berlin, † March 13, 1983 in Wassenaar ) was a painter, illustrator, photographer and art teacher, who worked most of his life in the Netherlands.

Life

Paul Citroen was born to a Dutch- Jewish couple in Berlin, where his parents ran a fur action. Early on he showed artistic and commercial talent. In 1915 he began an apprenticeship as a bookseller. About the Contact Georg Muche, with whom he studied previously in the study studios for painting and sculpture in Berlin- Charlottenburg, he learned Herwarth Walden know and taught him a storm - art bookstore and then went as an official representative of the storm in the Netherlands. He made in 1918 with members of the Dada group acquaintance and created in 1919 the first " decals " ( photomontage ). From 1922 to 1924 he studied at the Weimar Bauhaus, where he took the preliminary course Johannes Itten. Otto Umbehr ( umbo ) and Marianne Breslauer, he knew both from the Bauhaus, brought him back to Berlin, successively photographing closer. By Breslauer, which portrayed him several times, he also met Werner Rohde, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. After a temporary stay in Paris and Basel, in 1927 he moved permanently to Amsterdam. He bought a camera (format 6 x 9) and thus denied by portraits for a living. 1932 there will be a first exhibition of his photographs in Amsterdeam.

In 1933 he founded in Amsterdam a free, geared to the methods of the Bauhaus, Art Academy: the Nieuwe Art School. This institute, the lack of money had ever have to close in 1937, was dissolved in 1943 by the Nazis, who occupied the Netherlands at that time, as degenerate final. Citroen appeared then under in 's- Graveland (North Holland). Since 1935, Citroen was also a teacher at the Hague Academy of Arts and retained the office until 1960. As in the Nieuwe Art School, he taught at the Bauhaus style, which was seen as an innovation in the Dutch art classes. He was there among other Toon Wegner's teacher.

Citroen entertained, including as a member of society Pulchri Studio, contacts with the important writers and artists of the Netherlands. He illustrated for example The king is dead, the young Cees Noteboom ( 1961). He also portrayed photographically ( as drawing ) German and international personalities of cultural life as JJP Oud, Oskar Kokoschka, Thomas Mann ( and his children ), Max Ernst, Ossip Zadkine, Yehudi Menuhin, Benjamin Britten, Darius Milhaud, John Cage and many others.

1956 there was a first retrospective of his drawings and then scenic work, first in the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, then at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities. In 1971, there was a first solo exhibition of his works in the Rhenish State Museum Bonn and 1973 were photographs of Citroen in the exhibition medium of photography. Photographic works of Artists 1910-1973 in Leverkusen Museum Schloß Morsbroich to see. The following year he is again with paintings in the National Museums in Berlin to realism and objectivity. Aspects of German art 1919-1933 represented.

Already in 1960, Citroen was moved to Wassenaar, where he died at the age of 86 years in 1983.

Works

Paul Citroen is known primarily as a draftsman. The Hague Letterkundig Museum ( Museum of Literature ) are 49 portraits of major authors. As a photographer, he is recognized. His negative archive is since 1986 owned by the Print Room of the University Library of Leiden. In 1923 his most famous work, the photo collages city and Metropolis, Fritz Lang who inspired the film of the same name originated soll.Ref?

Between 1947 and 1949, also designed stage sets for the Nederlandse Opera, ceramics, and stamps for the Dutch Post Office (1948 special stamps for the Children's Aid and 1949 for the sport ).