Alfred Roloff

Alfred Gustav Christian Roloff (born March 19, 1879 in Lassan ; † December 7 or December 19, 1951 in Rade b. Rendsburg ) was a German painter and illustrator . He was best known for his front pages for Groschenhefte and for his dynamic horse pictures, for which he was nicknamed "Horse Roloff".

life and work

Alfred Roloff was born as the son of naval officer Wilhelm Roloff (1850-1936) and Caroline Roloff, b. Sadewasser (1855–1924) was born in the agricultural town of Lassan near Usedom on the Achterwasser . In 1886 the family moved to Hamburg . In 1896 he went to the Berlin Art Academy , which he graduated in 1901 at the age of twenty-two. At the same time, he began a lively illustrator career, largely supported by his then house publishing house, Verlagshaus für Volksliteratur und Kunst in Berlin - a book publisher that flooded the European market with entertainment and trivial novels at the time.

His talent was quickly discovered by other publishers and gallery owners. Against the background of mass production, Roloff gradually became a sought-after and successful illustrator. In 1905 he took part in the competition for advertising drafts for joint advertising by Ludwig Stollwerck and Otto Henkell . His design was recommended by the judges for purchase for 200 marks. He designed title covers with print runs in the millions.

During the Nazi dictatorship he was a member of the Reich Chamber of Fine Arts and thus found artistic recognition among the National Socialists. He was able to exhibit in Berlin; From 1940 to 1944 he was represented with nine paintings in the Great German Art Exhibitions in the House of German Art in Munich. His painting Fleeing Horses , a large-format work, hung in Hitler's office in the New Reich Chancellery . Alfred Rosenberg was enthusiastic about his "foal twins". He lived in Berlin-Friedenau from 1916 and moved to the Warthegau in 1943 , which he left in the spring of 1945.

After the Second World War , Alfred Roloff lived in Rade b. Until his death in 1951 . Rendsburg .

Alfred Roloff is best known for his horse pictures, for which he was nicknamed the Horse Roloff . In addition to animal portraits in general and depictions of battles and wars (especially from the First World War ), the horse is the preferred subject of his artistic work. In particular horses in motion such as fleeing thunderstorms, storms or fire and the backdrop of an eruptive charged nature are frequently recurring motivic elements. He is considered a traditionalist who has acquired a unique plastic-realistic technique through studies based on nature.

family

His brother Otto Roloff (1882–1972), who was three years his junior, was also a painter and art professor. Together, Alfred and Otto Roloff illustrated Brehm's animal life in serial issues .

Since April 29, 1908, Alfred Roloff was married to Auguste ("Gustel") Schröder. From 1942 he had a daughter, the filmmaker, director and author Margarethe von Trotta , with the Kurlander Elisabeth von Trotta from Moscow .

Quote

“With Teutwart Schmitson he had the gift of bringing the creature into the romp of the elements in a natural way and, with Edgar Degas , to be able to convincingly portray cautious animal movements. (...) Or the different representations of horses by the sea, which only have the theme and maybe the craft in common. Or horses in the early morning light. Chasing away once in large numbers. In the other picture also a larger number. Most of the time he creates mass with just a few bodies - Berber horses, easily carrying their riders whirling their rifles through the air. In this picture, one of the most important works that Roloff created, the light supports the movement by allowing the form to flow. Here is the Lassan master impressionist . He said of himself that he professed this art form. (...) The color is set flat. At the edges, like enamel, it is easily connected to the layer below. A treasure where you could almost say that craft became art. "

- Rudolf L. Klein

Illustrations

• Hugo Waldeyer-Hartz: ran to the enemy. Sea battles and air fights in the World War 1914/15 . With multicolored cover picture by Willy Stoewer and multicolored interior pictures by Hans von Bohrdt, A. Roloff, Hans R. Schulze, O. Roloff. Verlag Jugendhort, Berlin 1915. (= publication of the German Society for the Dissemination of Good Youth Writings and Books )
• Georg Gellert: In the fray of the world war . With a multi-colored cover image by C. Röchling and multi-colored interior images by Willy Stöwer , Angelo Jank , A. Roloff. 4 volumes. Jugendhort publishing house, Berlin 1915–1916. (= Publication of the German Society for the Dissemination of Good Youth Writings and Books )
• Georg Gellert: Heroes' journeys of the " Emden " and " Ayesha ". Adventure and battles of the "Emden" team in the 1914/15 World War. Narration . With colored illustrations based on originals by A. Roloff. Meidinger's Jugendschriften, Berlin 1915.
• Anton O. Klaussmann: Faithful brothers in arms. Heroic deeds of the Austrians, Hungarians and Germans in the World War 1914/15. Described for people and youth . With a multi-colored cover picture by A. Roloff. Mars publishing house, Berlin 1915.
• Max Schneckenburger : The Watch on the Rhine . Karl Werckmeisters Kunstverlag, Berlin 1915 (= New German picture sheets for young and old 3)
• Alfred Roloff: War Pictures
  • 1. Karl Werckmeisters Kunstverlag, Berlin 1915 (= New German picture sheets for young and old 12)
  • 2. Karl Werckmeisters Kunstverlag, Berlin 1915 (= New German picture sheets for young and old 14)
• Fedor von Zobeltitz : Heinz Stirling's adventures in the Orient . With pictures by Alfred Roloff. Volume 3. Ullstein, Berlin 1916.
• Arthur Zapp : Marshal von Hindenburg and his recruit. Story for the youth With pictures by A. Roloff. Wigand, Leipzig 1916.
• Georg Gellert: The escape from the Foreign Legion to the German front. A story from the World War 1914/17 . With pictures in color printing based on originals by A. Roloff. Meidinger, Berlin 1917 (= publications of the German Society for the Dissemination of Good Youth Writings and Books )
• Mayne Reid: Lost in the wilderness. A robinsonade . New German edition by Walter Heichen . Multi-colored cover drawing and interior picture by A. Roloff. Phönix-Verlag, Berlin 1920 (= Phönix-Knaben-Bücher. Interesting stories 2)
• Mayne Reid: Among the Bushclippers of Mexico. Narration . New German edition by Walter Heichen. Interior by A. Roloff. Phönix-Verlag, Berlin 1920 (= Phönix-Knaben-Bücher. Interesting stories 4)
• V. Schultz: On the watch in the east. A story from the Wars of Nations 1914–1915 . With four pictures by A. Roloff. 9th edition Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Berlin 1920. (= Stuttgart youth books 13)
• Carl Ferdinands: The three faithful ones on Kaltenborn . [The text illustrations by A. Roloff and the binding by Herm. Scheffler]. Flemming & Wiskott, Berlin 1923. (= Flemming's books for young and old. Small series 9)
• Ch. A. Eastman : An Indian boy in the primeval forests of North America . [The colored cover picture for issues A and B based on drawings by Alfred Roloff] Hillger, Berlin 1925 (= Deutsche Jugendbücherei No. 85)
• Helmsman ready to go to Marryat . [Cover photo by Alfred Roloff] Hillger, Berlin 1925 (= German Youth Library No. 98)
• Walther Stötzner: 2000 kilometers on the Yang tse kiang . [Cover photo by A. Roloff]. Hillger, Berlin 1928 (= German Youth Library No. 275)
• Friedrich Naumann: Sun trip to the shores of North Africa . [Cover photo by Alfred Roloff] Hillger, Berlin 1928 (= German Youth Library No. 280)
• Ms. Daum: The secret of the medicine bag. From the Indian life u. a. Stories for the youth. With 4 colorful pictures and black text illustrations by A. Roloff and Fritz Bergen , Anton, Leipzig 1928.
• Gustav Frenssen : From Jörn Uhl and other works . [Cover photo by A. Roloff] Hillger, Berlin 1930 (= German Youth Library No. 163)
• JW Schultz: Indian women . The colored cover picture for issues A and B was drawn by Alfred Roloff. Hillger, Berlin 1931 (= German Youth Library No. 377)
• Kurt Faber : In the Australian bush . The colored cover picture for issues A and B was drawn by Alfred Roloff. Hillger, Berlin 1931 (= German Youth Library No. 391)
• Kurt Faber: Through Persia with a backpack . The colored cover picture for issues A and B was drawn by Alfred Roloff. Hillger, Berlin 1932. (= German Youth Library No. 407)
• Friedrich Gerstäcker : The fort on the Salzfurt . [Cover photo by A. Roloff] Hillger, Berlin 1933. (= Deutsche Jugendbücherei No. 112)
• Paul Heyse : Confidence . The colored cover picture for issues A and B was drawn by Alfred Roloff. Hillger, Berlin 1933. (= German Youth Library No. 448/49)
• Fritz Jaspert: German pioneering work in Africa . The colored cover picture for issues A and B was drawn by Alfred Roloff. Hillger, Berlin 1937. (= German Youth Library No. 420/421)
• Friedrich Gerstäcker: Gold digger in Australia. Adventure stories from the time of the first gold discoveries . [Reviewed and ed. by Rudolf Menny. Text drawings. by A. Roloff. Cover by E. Lindeberg] Enßlin & Laiblin, Reutlingen 1938.
• Ulrich Sander : Once a soldier - always a soldier . Book decorations by Alfred Roloff. (Ed. By Hanns Deetjen and Hans Bodenstedt ). Verlag Blut und Boden, Goslar 1941. (= The books of the harvest , 9)

literature

• Bernd Jordan: A horse painter from Lassan. In: The Pommersche Zeitung. Episode 10/2011, p. 3.
• Rudolf L. Klein: Alfred Roloff. A memory . In: District association for the museum in Rendsburg (Ed.): Local history yearbook 1952 for the district of Rendsburg . Pp. 14-17.
• Michel Oleffe: In search of a citizen of Lassan: Alfred Roloff (1879–1951). (Translated from the French by Myriam Bosnic-Hendrickx). In: Interest group Heimatgeschichte Lassan e. V. (Ed.): Contributions to Lassaner Heimatgeschichte 2009 , pp. 5–15.

Web links

• Literature by and about Alfred Roloff in the catalog of the German National Library
• Alfred Roloff at Artnet
• Lassan receives originals from the horse painter Roloff . In: Ostsee-Zeitung , December 15, 2017.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bernd Jordan: A horse painter from Lassan. In: The Pommersche Zeitung. Episode 10/2011, p. 3.
2. ↑ Michel Oleffe: In search of a citizen of Lassan: Alfred Roloff (1879-1951) . In: Contributions to Lassaner Heimatgeschichte , 2009, p. 8
3. ↑ Tom Schröter: Lassan receives originals from the horse painter Roloff in: Ostsee-Zeitung from December 15, 2017.
4. ↑ Sample album with 114 reproductions of drafts for Stollwerck joint advertising with Henkell. Stollwerck AG, Cologne 1905.
5. ^ Database on the exhibitions of the House of German Art 1937–1944
6. ↑ Ines Schlenker: Hitler's Salon. The "Great German Art Exhibition" at the House of German Art in Munich, 1937–1944 . Lang, Oxford 2007, ISBN 978-3-03910-905-0 , p. 253.
7. ^ National Socialist Monthly Bulletins, Volume 12, Part 1. Central Publishing House of the NSDAP Franz Eher Nachf., Munich 1941.
8. ↑ Ders. That., P. 5
9. ^ Rudolf L. Klein: Alfred Roloff. A memory . In: District association for the museum in Rendsburg (Ed.): Local history yearbook 1952 for the district of Rendsburg . Pp. 14-17.