Hans Bloch (painter)

Hans Bloch (born May 17, 1881 in Breslau , † December 17, 1914 in Verdun ) was a German painter and art teacher.

Life

Hans Bloch was born as the son of a royal Railway Secretary Born in Wroclaw. From 1894 to 1900 he attended the royal high school there and from 1901 to 1905 the royal art academy with the aim of becoming a painter (teacher including Prof. Eduard Kaempffer; anatomical studies with Stahr and Loeschmann). After completing his military service, Bloch passed the drawing teacher exams in Breslau in 1903 and the gymnastics teacher exams in 1905 and entered school service in 1905. From 1905 to 1911 he was employed as a drawing and gymnastics teacher at the high schools in Landeshut and Kattowitz as well as at the Princely School in Pless and at the royal Catholic high school in Glogau . In Glogau he was able to present his own works as part of an exhibition from which "in a few days almost all" pictures are said to have been sold.

In 1911 Bloch gave up "his secure position in life" in order to continue his studies and artistic work in Paris (including at the Calarossi Academy) and on Corsica (Easter 1912 together with the Munich painter Knauer-Hase). In Ajaccio he got to know Matisse and Purmann. In 1914 he traveled extensively for several months in Italy (extensive sketches for Dante's Divina Commedia ); in July 1914 he returned to Breslau, shortly afterwards to set off on a painting trip to the Baltic Sea coast (Stettin, Rügen, Hiddensee). The conversion of the sketch made there into large-format paintings was thwarted by the conscription for military service. On December 17, Bloch died as a lieutenant in the 51st Reserve Infantry Regiment off Verdun . He was in the military cemetery buried Dannevoux.

Services

Of interest are Bloch's ideas on art education and his numerous travel sketches. In terms of art education, Bloch oriented himself towards the early reform efforts of the early 20th century. In his pedagogical explanations, the influence of the early phase of the international art education movement and reform pedagogy can already be seen :

“It has always been my endeavor, first and foremost, to open the pupil's eyes to the richness of forms and colors of nature, to arouse the joy of its beauty and infinite diversity and thus to stimulate the desire to reproduce what has been seen with my own eyes . The students, especially in the lower grades, all have good will, and that's where it's time to start. I try to keep the interest once aroused and to encourage it by choosing the reproach (the topic, dV) in alternation, through small art-historical lectures, in which I mainly try to bring modern catchwords closer to understanding, such as impressionism, plein air, Pointillism, etc., also through extensive use of color, and by working myself. In my experience this gives the strongest stimulus and saves many a long search. Above all, it is important to convey the knowledge that there is a difference between nature and art, that the reproduction of what is seen should not only be a copy of reality, but something that is seen individually. We want to give artistic impressions, not draw in the sense of scientific boards ... Manual dexterity is necessary, but not the main thing; therefore no better means than to observe outside in the air and light, and the indication that it is precisely the achievement of our time to observe and give the bodies in the 'open air'. Therefore: strong reception and quick reproduction of the artistic impressions seen with my own eyes ... It is always my endeavor to treat the students individually, not a template, but to lead each one on his own way, according to his disposition, the degree of his ability ... I basically avoid to force a student to do something, he only does what gives him pleasure ”(from: Hadelt and Hellmann, 1916, p. 3f).

Works

Paris Studies; Landscapes and Romanesque studies from Corsica (oil and pastel); Church image in Schömberg; Numerous pen drawings and sketches, especially animal drawings. Extensive estate, about whose whereabouts after 1945 nothing is known.

literature

• Alfred Hadelt, Oskar Hellmann (ed.): Hans Bloch - sketches and studies of a Silesian artist. Glogau / Leipzig: Verlag Hellmann 1916

Footnotes

1. ↑ volksbund.de