Dominik Bimann

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C. Hodenius: Dominik Bimann at his glass cutting tool (1833)

Dominik Bimann (also: Biemann ) (born April 1, 1800 in Neuwald (later Neuwelt) near Harrachsdorf , † September 29, 1858 in Eger ) was a Bohemian glass cutter and engraver .

Life

Born in the Jizera Mountains, he continued the family tradition of glass cutting and worked early as a carrier of finished glasses to the cooling furnace . From 1814 to 1818 he began an apprenticeship as a glass cutter with Franz Pohl. After attending the drawing school, he studied painting and anatomy at the Prague Art Academy from 1826 to 1829 . During this time he first worked independently in Franzensbad , then in Karlsbad and then in Prague as an employee. He then went into business for himself in Prague.

While at the beginning he worked on simple cups and crystal glasses, he gradually began to do commissioned work, such as a portrait of Goethe's friend Kaspar Graf von Sternberg . Taking advantage of the increasing economic situation for such projects, Bimann probably moved to Franzensbad in the summer months in 1829 , where, as a seasonal business, he mainly supplied noble spa guests with glass portraits. Again and again he traveled to Gotha, Coburg, Vienna and Berlin to get to know the latest artistic developments and trends and to carry out work. He tried to stand out clearly from the emerging "souvenir industry". In the following years he suggested some offers, e.g. B. from England or for permanent employment. He stayed in Franzensbad and thereby contributed to his ongoing financial problems.

Bimann was a prototype of the Biedermeier artist who was deeply rooted in his era. As fashions began to change, his orders dropped significantly. In 1855 he attempted suicide - probably out of desperation over the rapidly deteriorating material situation - of which he died three years later.

His brother, Vincenz Bimann (1811–1848), was also a glass cutter and engraver.

Goblet by Dominik Bimann, ca.1840

Works

The unengraved drinking glasses and goblets referred Bimann inter alia from the Harrach glassworks New World.

His motifs are characterized by hunting scenes, representations of horses and dogs. As a commissioned work, he also made glasses with portraits and worked for all classes of the population.

Around 1830, his work is considered to be the most mature. His works are particularly characterized by the precise representation of details, moods and character.

Several hundred works that Bimann worked on have been preserved unsigned. A total of 152 works are documented by Pittrof .

Appreciation

In 1828 he exhibited works at the Bohemian Art and Crafts Exhibition and was praised for " making the cut ".

Between 1829 and 1831 he sent his works to the Prague trade exhibition and received positive feedback from the commission: '' Clean, correct drawing and especially the successful and artistic execution [...]. "

At the first industrial celebration in Bohemia in 1831, he was the only individual exhibitor to receive a silver medal.

In 1923 Gustav Pazaurek describes the extraordinary quality of Bimann's works in his book.

From 1997 until the death of the initiator in 2013 there was a Dominik Biemann School founded by Prof. Jiři Harcuba (Prague) , which aims to connect European glass enthusiasts with a focus on glass technical schools.

His works are often auction items and achieve bids of up to € 30,000 (2011: e.g. three cups each from Dr. Fischer).

Exhibitions of his works (selection)

  • 1984: Exhibition of the so-called Biemann Collection in museums in Cologne, Berlin and Zurich
  • 2004: Biedermeier glass engravings - Dominik Biemann and contemporaries , Landesmuseum Joanneum , Graz
  • 2014: Biedermeier glass engravings - Dominik Biemann and contemporaries , Düsseldorf Tonhalle

Web links

literature

  • Biemann, Dominik - Düsseldorf, Museum Kunst Palast - Biedermeier glass engravings. Dominik Biemann and contemporaries. Catalog raisonné. Catalog from Paul von Lichtenberg. Graz / Düsseldorf 2004/05.
  • Gustav E. Pazaurek: Glasses from the Empire and Biedermeier periods , Leipzig 1923
  • Julius Streit, Otto Lauer: Dominik Bimann. Life report and master work of the best portrait engraver , Schwäbisch Gmünd 1958
  • Ernst Schremmer: Painting and sculpture in the 19th and 20th centuries , in: Art in Eger. Edited by Lorenz Schreiner . Munich (et al.) 1992, pp. 475-477.
  • Kurt Pittrof: Dominik Biemann: Bohemian glass engraver from Biedermeier , Arnoldsche, 1993
  • Paul von Lichtenberg: Glass engravings by Biedermeier Dominik Biemann and contemporaries , Schnell & Steiner, 2004
  • Gordon Campbell: The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts: Aalto to Kyoto pottery , Oxford University Press, 2006

credentials

  1. ^ Society of the Fatherland Museum in Bohemia: Monthly of the Society of the Fatherland Museum in Bohemia: 1828.2 . Calve, 1828 ( google.de [accessed January 4, 2018]).
  2. ↑ Yearbooks of the Bohemian Museum of Natural and Regional Studies, History, Art and Literature . Calve, 1831 ( google.de [accessed January 4, 2018]).
  3. ↑ Glass is more! | Articles | SCHOOL OF JIRÍ HARCUBA. Retrieved January 4, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Bimann, Dominik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Biemann, Dominik
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian glass cutter and engraver
DATE OF BIRTH April 1, 1800
PLACE OF BIRTH Neuwald near Harrachsdorf
DATE OF DEATH September 29, 1858
Place of death Eger