Rudolf Nitschke

Rudolf Nitschke (born February 5, 1903 in Dresden , † June 2, 1961 in Hößlinswart ) was a German painter .

Live and act

Rudolf Nitschke was born on February 5, 1903 as the son of the civil servant Richard Nitschke and his wife Ida in Dresden.

He first attended elementary school. After an apprenticeship as a precision mechanic, he was a private student at Ewald Schönberg's painting school, Dresden, between 1927 and 1929. From 1931 to 1937 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden under Professors Richard Müller , Hans Hanner and Otto Dix , whose master class he became. In 1937 Rudolf Nitschke finished his studies as a trained painter.

The move from Dresden to Württemberg followed in 1938, first to Balingen and later to Spaichingen . During the first years of the war he worked as a stage manager at the Freiburg theater. Towards the end of the war he was drafted into the military and transferred to Russia as a medical soldier. In 1946 he returned from captivity.

After the war he opened a painting school in Spaichingen . Together with his wife Elli-Maria and the painting student Hannel Illg he organized a traveling exhibition with which they traveled through the region. However, the idea of ​​a joint, southern German artist association failed. In 1951 the artist moved to the Villa Rössle in Balingen.

Rudolf Nitschke died on June 2, 1961 in Hößlinswart (Schorndorf)

Style and technology

Rudolf Nitschke was a versatile and accomplished artist. In addition to landscape painting "en plein air ", he primarily devoted himself to portraiture.

Already during his studies at the academy, the artist acquired in-depth knowledge of drawing and composition. He also studied panel painting by the Old Masters in the Royal Picture Gallery in Dresden and made copies. At the same time, he experimented with a complicated multi-layer glaze technique and special "stand oils" - colors that had to be mixed for several weeks before being used. The influence of his professor Otto Dix was also clearly visible in these early years. The nudes were characterized by the effort to depict the present without a flattering, idealizing contemplation of the sitter.

In the course of his life, Rudolf Nitschke expanded his stylistic repertoire. The numerous oil paintings of the Swabian landscape radiate impressionistic lightness and luminosity. On study trips he also gained new ideas for further works. As a well-known and valued portrait painter, he was often commissioned by personalities from politics and culture. Another focus is the large-format flower still lifes. He also restored damaged oil paintings from public holdings.

In addition to the oil paintings, the painter mostly made small-format etchings that were thematically dedicated to the region.

family

On October 27, 1931, he married Elli-Maria Kretschmar. From this marriage there were 4 children.

His second marriage was in 1960 with Hannel Illg (1923–2018). Hannel Nitschke-Illg inherited his artistic estate and bequeathed it to the city of Balingen as a gift. 60 oil paintings, 4 pastel chalk drawings as well as around 45 charcoal drawings and 25 etchings have been included in the municipal art collection.

Exhibitions (selection)

• 1938 First exhibitions in Balingen (Spitaltorschule), Esslingen, Tailfingen and Weilstetten
• 1940 Tübingen (university library), Reutlingen
• 1948 Rottweil, Tuttlingen, Schwenningen, Oberndorf, Schramberg, Balingen and Ebingen
• 1949 Balingen, Tübingen (university library), Tailfingen, Hechingen and Onstmettingen
• 1950 Balingen
• 1951 Esslingen
• 1955 Balingen (700th anniversary)
• 2005 Balingen (tithe barn)
• 2016 Bad Säckingen (house fishermen's guild)

literature

Bucher-Schlichtenberger, Heidrun: Introductory lecture for the vernissage "Rudolf Nitschke" Zehntscheuer Balingen, Balingen 2005.

Hagen, Wolfgang: Looking for traces - the painter couple Elli Maria and Rudolf Nitschke. In: Spaichinger Heimatbrief, 2011, 30th edition, pp. 55–58.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} Heidrun Bucher-Schlichtenberger: Introductory lecture for the vernissage "Rudolf Nitschke" Zehntscheuer Balingen . Balingen October 6, 2005.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Balingen painters are rediscovering Rudolf Nitschke's paintings in the Zehntscheuer from today. Rediscover Balingen painters. Zollern-Alb-Kurier, October 6, 2005.