Birgit and Claus Hartmann

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Birgit and Claus Hartmann are a German artist couple who work as ship sculptors and mainly design figureheads . Her studio, called Hartmann Design, is the only one in the world that specializes in the professional carving of figureheads. They operate worldwide and are represented by agencies in the USA , Australia and some other countries associated with shipping.

Life

Birgit Hartmann (* 1973 in Oldenburg ) and Claus Hartmann (* 1957 in Elsfleth ) live and work on the Weser island of Harriersand , which belongs to the Lower Saxony community of Schwanewede .

Claus Hartmann comes from an old captain's family . His great-grandfather, the captain Johann Mohrschladt, collected figureheads from stranded or scrapped ships. His father later restored the figures and acquired new ones. Claus Hartmann began to carve figureheads at the age of 17. After dropping out of biology studies and training as a naturopath, he originally wanted to become a doctor. He financed his medical studies with his handicrafts . The hobby became a profession and in 1994 Hartmann founded his ship sculpting workshop in a former marsh yard on the island of Harriersand in the Weser.

In the same year he also met his wife Birgit, who has been working with him as an artist ever since. Birgit Hartmann trained as a graphic designer and has drawn and modeled from childhood. The couple has two children.

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According to their own statements, the focus of the artist couple's “artistic and handicraft” work are figureheads for traditional sailing ships and yachts . The choice of motif for your figureheads often results from the ship's name or the wishes of the ship's owners and customers, but is sometimes also freely developed. The design and execution are preceded by a precise measurement of the bow . In addition to the production of figureheads and bow ornaments for sailing ships and yachts, the Hartmanns also deal with the production of replicas of historical figures, stern and ship name plates (so-called trail boards ), rudder heads and other decorations as well as maritime furniture and moldings.

The artist couple made their first figurehead in 1994 for Bark Lili Marleen , who lives in Elsfleth, the home of Claus Hartmann . In 1995 the figurehead for the three-masted schooner Grand Duchess Elisabeth was created . In 1997 they created a figurehead representing an Inuit hunter for the three-masted schooner Fridtjof Nansen . The figure was carved from an elm trunk and wears a bone harpoon . In 2002/2003 they were commissioned by the German Navy for their sailing training ship Gorch Fock with the production of the fifth Albatros gale figure after the Gorch Fock lost its fourth Albatros in December 2002 in heavy seas in the English Channel . The Albatros figurehead, carved from ash wood by the Hartmanns , was lost in the stormy Bay of Biscay in December 2003 ; the current Albatros is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) . The artist couple has now created more than 75 figureheads and sculptures . In addition, the Hartmanns are now also active in the so-called “mega yacht” market, such as with bow and interior sculptures as well as carvings made from precious woods.

The artist couple works in different types of wood such as Nordic pine, oak, elm, ash, maple, framire and mahogany, as well as in stainless steel , aluminum or bronze .

Works (selection)

Figurehead of the Grand Duchess Elisabeth

Figureheads for sailing ships:

  • 2011: figurehead of Alexander von Humboldt II , Germany
  • 2009: Mir figurehead , Russia
  • 2007–2009: Santa Barbara Anna figurehead of the three-masted schooner of the same name Santa Barbara Anna , Germany; The owner is the pop star and amateur athlete Joey Kelly
  • 2003: figurehead of Antigua , Netherlands
  • 2003: Albatros figurehead of the sailing training ship Gorch Fock , Germany
  • 2000: figurehead of the Royal Clipper , Monaco
  • 1999: Figurehead of the Khersones , Ukraine
  • 1999: Sedov figurehead , Russia
  • 1998: Figurehead of Signora del Vento , Italy
  • 1997: Inuit figurehead of Fridtjof Nansen , Germany
  • 1995: figurehead of the Grand Duchess Elisabeth , Germany
  • 1994: figurehead of Lili Marleen , Germany

Other figures and sculptures:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Bianca Gerlach: Cut a good figure. (PDF file; 410 kB) Der Standard , Vienna, January 25, 2008, p. 12 , accessed on December 1, 2009 .
  2. ↑ a b c Cord C. Troebst: The birthplace of gods and mythical animals. (PDF file; 152 kB) Die Welt , August 25, 2007, p. A6 , accessed on December 1, 2009 .
  3. ^ York Schaefer: First Ladies on Course. (PDF file; 208 kB) In: Magazine 'how to spend it'. Financial Times Deutschland , June 2007, pp. 34–35 , accessed on December 3, 2009 .