royal academy art
Max Klinger – The Bridging Tale of Symbolism, Metaphysical Art, & Surrealism
The German painter, printmaker, sculptor, and writer, Max Klinger, was born on February 18, 1857, in Leipzig. He hailed from a well-to-do family of a soap manufacturer, Heinrich Louis Klinger. Max’s early education started at Grand Ducal Baden Art School, Karlsruhe in 1874. The next year, he went on to study under Karl Gussow at the Royal Academy of Art, Berlin. Here, the graphical techniques of painting were introduced to him.
Max Klinger’s art was not limited to any niche style. He had dazzling skills, and his style often cut across the known boundaries, perfectly blending diverse strains, fashioning in a way that appealed to both, the ‘Symbolists,’ ‘Metaphysicists,’ and the ‘Surrealists.’ Klinger’s world is often described as somber, yet thoughtful. His etchings were always bright and astonishing depictions of fantasies about love, death, sexual psychosis, and fetish compulsions, along with other unconventional themes.
In 1878, Klinger had his first exhibition of ink sketches at the 52nd Academy Exhibition in Berlin. Two years later, one of his famous works, “Eva und die Zukunft (Opus III) cycle” was created. His most acclaimed contributions to art were a series of ten etchings, “Paraphrases about the Finding of a Glove (1881)” that weave together a storyline and series upon the ‘Theme of Christ.’ According to him, these etchings were apt embodiments of fantasy, as they facilitated the portrayal of the sleazy and the unusual.
Max Klinger traveled extensively to Italy, Brussels, Paris, Greece, London, and Munich. He was deeply moved by the social problems and unsavory realities that he came across during his trips. The cycle “A Life” and “A Love” illustrated the grim images of violent social change, and the plight of the women at large. “A life and dramas” carried the motif of urban violence and poverty. The genre of Klinger’s works is considered the precursor of ‘Surrealism.’ His concepts of waking dreams, mundane realities, and hallucinatory imageries inspired the ‘Surrealists’ of later years, such as Giorgio de Chiricho, Munch, Dali, and Ernst.
In the year 1893, Klinger was appointed a professor at the Royal Academy of the Graphic Arts in Leipzig, and was made a member of the Vienna Secession, a group of Austrian artists. He promoted exchanges between artists through the Villa Romana and the Association of Annual Leipzig Exhibitions, both founded by him. From the year 1897, Klinger concentrated mostly on sculpturing. His magnum opus, a marble statue of Beethoven, was exhibited at the Vienna Secession exhibition in 1902.
Max Klinger, one of the most versatile personalities of his times, was said to be in a close relationship, for almost two decades with an author, Elsa Asenijeff, whom he met at the ripe age of 41. He remained a bachelor for most part of his life, getting married finally in 1919, just a year before his death on July 5, 1920.
Jacques-Louis David – The Neo-Classical Artist of the French Revolution Age
Jacques-Louis David, the leading exponent of ‘Neo-Classical Art’ in the era of the French Revolution, was born on August 30, 1748, in a well-to-do family of Paris. David lost his father to a violent feud when he was only nine years of age. In 1757, his mother put him in the custody of his architect uncles. David’s uncles wanted him to follow their suit and be an architect. They therefore, got him enrolled in the premium College des Quatre Nations, University of Paris. He was however, inclined more towards art than anything else, and was not a good performer at school.
Against the wishes of his family, Jacques decided to take art lessons. His training began with the ace ‘Rococo’ painter, Fran