Johanna Ey
Encyclopedia
Johanna Ey was an art dealer
in Germany during the 1920s. She became known as Mutter Ey (Mother Ey) for the nurturing support she provided to her artists, who included Max Ernst
and Otto Dix
.
). At the age of 19 she moved to Düsseldorf
. She married and had twelve children, of whom eight died young. In 1910, middle aged and divorced, she opened a bakery in the proximity of the Düsseldorf Academy of Arts. This became a popular meeting place of actors, journalists, musicians and especially painters, who appreciated her policy of granting credit to artists and students. She displayed their works in her shop windows, and became a collector of art by accepting paintings as payment.
In 1916 she closed her café and opened a gallery on the Hindenburgwall (today Heinrich Heine
avenue), where she showed works by academic painters. In the years following World War I
, however, the gallery became the center of the artists of the "Junge Rheinland" (Young Rhineland) group. Ey initially decided to exhibit their art not for theoretical or economic reasons, but rather because of her personal friendships with the artists, although she quickly became an energetic proponent of modernism
. Her support for her artists extended even to darning their socks, and she defended Wollheim
and Dix
when they were hauled into court on charges that their paintings were immoral.
During the 1920s, she was frequently painted by the artists in her circle, notably by Dix in 1924, and in 1925 by Arthur Kaufmann
, who placed her at the center of his composition Contemporaries (Düsseldorf's Intellectual Scene). According to art historian Sergiusz Michalsky, "Johanna Ey's portrait was painted more often than that of any other woman in Germany."
With the rise to power of Hitler
in 1933, nearly all the artists associated with Ey were denounced as degenerate art
ists; most were also political opponents of National Socialism. In April 1934 Johanna Ey gave up running her gallery. She died in Düsseldorf in 1947.
Among the artists associated with Ey's gallery were Max Ernst
, Otto Dix
, Otto Pankok
, Gert Heinrich Wollheim
, Jean-Paul Schmitz, Adolf Uzarski
, Arthur Kaufmann
, Hermann Hundt, Adalbert Trillhase, Karl Schwesig, Jankel Adler
, Robert Pudlich, Franz Monjau, Adolf de Haer, and Curt Lahs
.
Art dealer
An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art. Art dealers' professional associations serve to set high standards for accreditation or membership and to support art exhibitions and shows.-Role:...
in Germany during the 1920s. She became known as Mutter Ey (Mother Ey) for the nurturing support she provided to her artists, who included Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
and Otto Dix
Otto Dix
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit.-Early life and...
.
Biography
Ey was born in humble circumstances in Wickrath (today a quarter of MönchengladbachMönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
). At the age of 19 she moved to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. She married and had twelve children, of whom eight died young. In 1910, middle aged and divorced, she opened a bakery in the proximity of the Düsseldorf Academy of Arts. This became a popular meeting place of actors, journalists, musicians and especially painters, who appreciated her policy of granting credit to artists and students. She displayed their works in her shop windows, and became a collector of art by accepting paintings as payment.
In 1916 she closed her café and opened a gallery on the Hindenburgwall (today Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
avenue), where she showed works by academic painters. In the years following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, however, the gallery became the center of the artists of the "Junge Rheinland" (Young Rhineland) group. Ey initially decided to exhibit their art not for theoretical or economic reasons, but rather because of her personal friendships with the artists, although she quickly became an energetic proponent of modernism
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
. Her support for her artists extended even to darning their socks, and she defended Wollheim
Gert Heinrich Wollheim
Gert Heinrich Wollheim was a German painter associated with the New Objectivity, and later an expressionist who worked in America after 1947.-Life and work:...
and Dix
Otto Dix
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit.-Early life and...
when they were hauled into court on charges that their paintings were immoral.
During the 1920s, she was frequently painted by the artists in her circle, notably by Dix in 1924, and in 1925 by Arthur Kaufmann
Arthur Kaufmann (artist)
Arthur Kaufmann was an influential avante-garde German painter, who was a key figure in the Post-Expressionist and New Objectivity art movements....
, who placed her at the center of his composition Contemporaries (Düsseldorf's Intellectual Scene). According to art historian Sergiusz Michalsky, "Johanna Ey's portrait was painted more often than that of any other woman in Germany."
With the rise to power of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1933, nearly all the artists associated with Ey were denounced as degenerate art
Degenerate art
Degenerate art is the English translation of the German entartete Kunst, a term adopted by the Nazi regime in Germany to describe virtually all modern art. Such art was banned on the grounds that it was un-German or Jewish Bolshevist in nature, and those identified as degenerate artists were...
ists; most were also political opponents of National Socialism. In April 1934 Johanna Ey gave up running her gallery. She died in Düsseldorf in 1947.
Among the artists associated with Ey's gallery were Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
, Otto Dix
Otto Dix
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit.-Early life and...
, Otto Pankok
Otto Pankok
Otto Pankok was a German painter, printmaker, and sculptor.-Biography:He was born in Mülheim on the Ruhr. In 1912 he began his formal training as an artist at the Art Academies in Düsseldorf and Weimar...
, Gert Heinrich Wollheim
Gert Heinrich Wollheim
Gert Heinrich Wollheim was a German painter associated with the New Objectivity, and later an expressionist who worked in America after 1947.-Life and work:...
, Jean-Paul Schmitz, Adolf Uzarski
Adolf Uzarski
Adolf Uzarski was a German writer, artist, and illustrator associated with the New Objectivity movement.He was born in Ruhrort bei Duisburg and studied at the Cologne School of Architecture before enrolling in 1906 at the Düsseldorf School of Arts and Crafts...
, Arthur Kaufmann
Arthur Kaufmann (artist)
Arthur Kaufmann was an influential avante-garde German painter, who was a key figure in the Post-Expressionist and New Objectivity art movements....
, Hermann Hundt, Adalbert Trillhase, Karl Schwesig, Jankel Adler
Jankel Adler
Jankel Adler was a Polish painter and printmaker.-Biography:He was born as the seventh of ten children in Tuszyn, a suburb of Łódź. In 1912 he began training as an engraver with his uncle in Belgrade. He moved in 1914 to Germany where he lived for a time with his sister in Barmen...
, Robert Pudlich, Franz Monjau, Adolf de Haer, and Curt Lahs
Curt Lahs
Curt Lahs was a German painter.-Timeline:He exhibited at Galerie Flechtheim, Düsseldorf in 1919...
.
External links
- Painting of Johanna by Otto Dix http://www.mess.net/galleria/dix/ey.html