Herman Sachs
Encyclopedia
Herman Sachs (1883–1940) was an artist and art educator, active in Germany
and the United States
during the first half of the 20th century.
to Jewish parents, Sachs immigrated to the U.S. as a child. He first trained under his German-born father, a painter in the court of Queen Elisabeth of Romania
. Sachs continued his artistic training in Europe, spending the 1910s in Germany, where he founded the Munich School of Expressionists (Munich Expressionist Werkstätten).
Upon returning to the United States in 1920, Sachs exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago
and established the Chicago Industrial Art School, which soon failed due to lack of sufficient funding. Afterward, Sachs became the first Director of the Dayton Museum of Fine Arts, now the Dayton Art Institute
. During this time, he also served as the U.S. representative of artist George Grosz
.
Around 1925, Sachs moved to Los Angeles
to design the interiors of the new Gas Company building. As a muralist and decorator, Sachs went on to design the interiors of many Los Angeles landmarks, including the Bullocks Wilshire
building (now home to Southwestern Law School), Union Station
, Los Angeles City Hall
, and the Title Insurance and Trust Company Building. An educator as well as an artist, Sachs also directed the Creative Art Students League of Los Angeles.
Sachs was active within the L.A. Weimar
exile community of artists, writers, and filmmakers. His friend, the architect Rudolph Schindler, designed Sachs' L.A. house, the Manola Court Apartments.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the first half of the 20th century.
Biography
Born in RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to Jewish parents, Sachs immigrated to the U.S. as a child. He first trained under his German-born father, a painter in the court of Queen Elisabeth of Romania
Elisabeth of Wied
-Titles and styles:*29 December 1843 – 15 November 1869: Her Serene Highness Princess Elisabeth of Wied*15 November 1869 – 26 March 1881: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Romania...
. Sachs continued his artistic training in Europe, spending the 1910s in Germany, where he founded the Munich School of Expressionists (Munich Expressionist Werkstätten).
Upon returning to the United States in 1920, Sachs exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
and established the Chicago Industrial Art School, which soon failed due to lack of sufficient funding. Afterward, Sachs became the first Director of the Dayton Museum of Fine Arts, now the Dayton Art Institute
Dayton Art Institute
The Dayton Art Institute is a museum of fine arts in Dayton, Ohio, USA. The Dayton Art Institute was rated one of the top 10 best art museums in the United States for kids. The museum also ranks in the top 3% of all art museums in North America in 3 of 4 factors...
. During this time, he also served as the U.S. representative of artist George Grosz
George Grosz
Georg Ehrenfried Groß was a German artist known especially for his savagely caricatural drawings of Berlin life in the 1920s...
.
Around 1925, Sachs moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to design the interiors of the new Gas Company building. As a muralist and decorator, Sachs went on to design the interiors of many Los Angeles landmarks, including the Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
building (now home to Southwestern Law School), Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
, Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall
Los Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
, and the Title Insurance and Trust Company Building. An educator as well as an artist, Sachs also directed the Creative Art Students League of Los Angeles.
Sachs was active within the L.A. Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
exile community of artists, writers, and filmmakers. His friend, the architect Rudolph Schindler, designed Sachs' L.A. house, the Manola Court Apartments.
Works
- Photography in S. Mollier, Plastische Anatomie. Die konstruktive Form des menschlichen Korpers (Munich: J.F. Bergman, 1924)
- Los Angeles City HallLos Angeles City HallLos Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
(color consultant), Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1926–28 - Lehrbuch der Maltechnik (Berlin: Wasmuth, 1927)
- Title Insurance and Trust Company Building, 1928
- The Spirit of Transportation: mural in the porte-cochere of Bullocks WilshireBullocks WilshireBullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1929 - Union StationUnion Station (Los Angeles)Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
(color consultant), Los Angeles, CA, USA, 1934–39