Curtius Schulten

Curtius Schulten (born September 6, 1893 in Elberfeld , † 1967 in Blankenheim ) was a German painter and, along with Fritz von Wille, probably the most famous landscape painter in the Eifel in the 20th century .

Life

Schulten was the fourth child of the textile merchant Hermann Schulten in Elberfeld . After graduating from the Realgymnasium (1910/11) he studied at the Elberfeld School of Applied Arts, from 1911 to 1913 at the Karlsruhe Art Academy and from 1913 to 1914 at the Munich Art Academy .

From 1911 he was often in his parents' summer house in Blankenheim, drawing animals there. In 1913, his father had a small studio building - with a copper printing workshop - built for the committed art student above the summer house . This strengthened Curtius Schulten's relationship with the Eifel.

Schulten was a soldier in World War I and was wounded in the winter battle in the Champagne region in northern France . He then lived in Elberfeld and spent the summer in Blankenheim. In 1921 he married Hilde Bettges, who encouraged his work in every way. From 1922 to 1924 studied at the Graphic Academy in Leipzig and was a master student of Alois Kolb.

In 1925 the archaeological institute commissioned him with the documentation in Numantia and Sagunto in Catalonia ( Spain ). Drawings and portraits were created . From 1927 to 1929 Schulten lived and worked all year round in Blankenheim, as his Eifel landscapes in the post-impressionist style were in great demand in cities on the Rhine. Since 1930 he made many study trips, especially to Ibiza and Norway .

In World War II Schulten worked as a war correspondent. His apartment in Cologne's old town was completely bombed out . In January 1945 his wife Hilde died in a bomb attack on the castle in Blankenheim.

In 1946 he married Hedwig Morsbach. From this marriage there was a son, Marius, in 1949. The permanent residence was now Blankenheim. He received new motivation for his artistic work from his second wife, but also from orders from State Secretary Hermann Wandersleb from Bonn and the Schleiden regional director Felix Gerhardus.

From 1949 he was again a sought-after portrait painter, but also a landscape painter of the Eifel. Further study trips, particularly to Ibiza and Norway, from 1951 onwards strongly influenced his style in his late work. He organized major exhibitions in Aachen and Prüm and was a founding member of the "European Association of Visual Artists from the Eifel and Ardennes" . In 1962 the Eifelverein published the book Erlebte Eifel about Schulten. In 1967 he received the Art and Culture Prize of the Groupement of the European Association of Visual Artists from the Eifel and Ardennes . Curtius Schulten died on November 20, 1967 in Blankenheim.

plant

Three genres can be found in Schulten's work: animal , portrait and landscape painting . Curtius Schulten initially formulated his motifs in the post-impressionist style, but then came to abstract impressionism in his late work , whereby he focused on light , color and movement. In the 1930s his landscapes were darkened, among other things by the themes of storm or thunderstorm , but also by dull colors. His study trips to Ibiza - from 1953 - gave him his "fascination" - light, color and movement - again in increased form and led him to his own abstract impressionism, also in his Eifel landscapes.

literature

• Curtius Schulten: Experienced the Eifel . Hans Reykers Publishing House, Cologne 1962
• Curtius Schulten: The image of the Eifel . Cologne 1966
• From the life of the Eifel painter , compiled by CP Joist and Marius Schulten. In: Yearbook of the District of Euskirchen 1990 , Euskirchen 1989, p. 17 ff.
• CP Joist: Curtius Schulten - painter of the Eifel . Euskirchen 1990
• CP Joist: Curtius Schulten as a mountain painter . In: Romerike Berge , June 1991, p. 1 ff.
• Landscape painter of the Eifel , edited by Conrad-Peter Joist, Düren 1997, p. 118 ff.

Web links

• Official Curtius Schulten website with images of some pictures created by the family
• Article about Curtius Schulten as a painter in the Eifel
• Painter at the time of the poet Jakob Kneip in Bad Münstereifel