Friedrich Fries (art historian)

Friedrich Fries (born September 16, 1865 in Frankfurt am Main ; † July 31, 1954 in Oberursel ) was a German art historian and the first museum director of the Elberfeld Municipal Museum (today: Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal ).

Life

Friedrich Fries attended the Realgymnasium in Frankfurt until he received the one-year volunteer certificate and initially studied agriculture. Appointed as an assistant to Göttingen , he attended lectures on art history at the university there , which aroused his interest. From then on he studied this subject at the Universities of Göttingen , Basel and Zurich . In 1896 he was with the thesis "Studies on the history of Alsace painting in the XV. Century before the appearance of Martin Schongauer" at the University of Zurich with Johann Rudolf Rahn Dr. phil. PhD.

Then he was a lecturer in art history at the Städelsche Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt am Main , after which he was appointed to Elberfeld . There he became its first director in 1902 after the establishment of the Elberfeld Municipal Museum and headed the facility until 1929. He was involved in building up and expanding the museum's collection. In doing so, he expanded the existing core of the collection, which mainly consisted of 19th century paintings, through acquisitions and donations, in addition to a department of 17th century Dutch painting, and above all the department of impressionism and contemporary modern painting. His work helped the museum to gain a reputation for a progressive collection policy and one of the most important collections in Germany.

After working for 27 years, he retired in 1929 (the year the cities of Barmen and Elberfeld were united ), which he spent near his birthplace in Frankfurt in Oberursel im Taunus, but was still available to advise collectors. He was an honorary member of the Wuppertal Art and Museum Association . Arno Breker (1900–1991) portrayed Fries in 1930 in a bronze bust with a height of 34 cm, which was commissioned by the museum association and now belongs to the museum's collection. This was commissioned and given away on the occasion of Fries' resignation. Fries' successor was Victor Dirksen (1887–1955), who consistently continued his work.

Friedrich Fries, who had qualified as a professor, died in 1954. In the obituary of the Wuppertal Art and Museum Association it was stated:

“ His life's work was the construction and expansion of the municipal museum, which emerged from numerous foundations in the 27 years of successful work by Professor Dr. Fries could develop into a closed whole of supra-local importance. […] His personality and his performance will remain unforgettable. "

Individual evidence

1. ↑ At Eva Rowedder: Von-der-Heydt Museum Wuppertal. Sculpture Collection , Wuppertal 1987, ISBN 3-89202-004-3 , p. 46 wrongly 1950.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Dedication for the 75th birthday, newspaper clipping from September 13, 1940 signed Dr. Li.
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Gerhard Finckh (ed.), Antje Birthälmer (arrangement): The expressionist impulse. Masterpieces from Wuppertal's large private collections . von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal 2008, ISBN 978-3-89202-070-7 , p. 55.
4. ↑ Entry in the register of the University of Zurich .
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Eva Rowedder: Von-der-Heydt Museum Wuppertal. Sculpture Collection , Wuppertal 1987, ISBN 3-89202-004-3 , p. 46.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Obituary in the annual report of the Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal 1954/55, p. 8.
7. ↑ Uta Laxner-Gerlach: From the Heydt Museum Wuppertal. Catalog of 19th century paintings . Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal 1974, p.?.

Web links

• Literature by and about Friedrich Fries in the catalog of the German National Library
• Literature by and about the Elberfeld Municipal Museum in the catalog of the German National Library

predecessor	Office	successor
-	Director of the Elberfeld Municipal Museum (today: Von der Heydt Museum) 1902–1929	Victor Dirksen