Georg Arnold-Graboné

Georg Arnold-Graboné (born September 11, 1896 in Munich , † February 10, 1982 in Buchhof , Percha district, City of Starnberg ) was a German impressionist painter .

biography

Arnold was born as the son of the District President Wilhelm von Arnold in Munich. The family is originally from Tyrol, where an ancestor of Arnold was Margarete's secretary . In the late Middle Ages, the family moved from Tyrol to Hohenlohe-Franconia, where they bought an estate in Gerabronn . Arnold also derived his stage name Graboné from his hometown Gerabronn.

Arnold became interested in painting from an early age. His artistic career, however, was initially interrupted by the First World War, when Arnold joined the 16th Royal Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment - on the same platoon as Adolf Hitler . In 1916, Arnold suffered an injury from a grenade, which at times restricted his hearing and speaking ability. In the period that followed, Arnold first studied painting in Stuttgart and Vienna. In Vienna, Arnold turned to Cubism under Professor Lippert and became a member of the “Light Group”. Soon, however, Arnold turned to traditional landscape painting, as he could not gain much from abstract art in the long run. He found his motifs on numerous trips throughout Europe, the Orient and North America.

After returning to Munich, Arnold became a master student of Heinrich von Zügel and Leo von König . Following this, Arnold studied with Max Liebermann in Berlin .

In 1932 Arnold became a professor at the Zurich Art Academy. Here he later also acted as rector. In 1938, however, Arnold moved to Upper Bavaria at the request of friends - allegedly also at the request of his former regimental comrade Hitler. Arnold initially worked in Zügel's studio before buying a farmhouse in Buchhof near Starnberg. At that time, Arnold's circle of friends included numerous cultural workers, such as Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt as well as Hans Albers .

During the Second World War , Arnold was hired as police chief in Starnberg , a task that he took on reluctantly - he is said to have warned friends and acquaintances against interrogations and house searches. In 1944 Arnold was finally arrested temporarily by the Gestapo . After the war he was taken prisoner by the Allies, from which he was soon released.

When General Dwight D. Eisenhower bought a painting by Arnold in 1951 , he wanted to get to know the artist himself. This eventually led to Arnold giving him painting and drawing lessons for a long time.

Arnold finally met Winston Churchill through Eisenhower . Churchill had Arnold instruct him in his spatula technique. In the early 1950s, this finally led Arnold and Churchill to paint together on the Isle of Man .

In the years that followed, paintings by Arnold were exhibited worldwide, including in the Tokyo Imperial Palace and the White House ; there are also paintings owned by the Eisenhower and Kennedy families .

Arnold died in 1982. He was survived by his second wife Sophie and their son Werner as well as by his two daughters from their first marriage.

Artistic style

Arnold is known for his unique spatula technique, with which he works out landscapes in three dimensions, as well as for the brilliance of the colors he uses. His signature was usually engraved into the paint through the back of the brush in the lower left corner of the picture. Arnold's preferred motifs are the Bavarian Alps, as well as maritime landscapes on the North and Baltic Seas and the Mediterranean.

literature

• d'ART, Arnold Grabone Biography by Donald Van Riper, [1]
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Personal Holding List, p. 124, " Dwight D. Eisenhower Library document "
• Valley News June, 5, 1958, " Newspaper "
• Anton Ribarits, Manfred Wankmüller: The painter Arnold - Graboné. Augsburg, 1971.