Karl Buesgen
Encyclopedia
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
and Pennsylvania impressionist
Pennsylvania Impressionism
Pennsylvania Impressionism refers to an American Impressionist movement from the first half of the 20th century that was centered in and around Bucks County, Pennsylvania, particularly the area around the town of New Hope...
typically associated with the Baum Circle
Baum Circle
The Baum Circle refers to the group of artists either taught by, associated with, or directly influenced by Pennsylvania impressionist painter Walter Emerson Baum...
, a group of artists either taught by, associated with, or directly influenced by Pennsylvania impressionist painter Walter Emerson Baum
Walter Emerson Baum
Walter Emerson Baum was an American artist and educator active in the Bucks and Lehigh County areas of Pennsylvania in the United States...
.
Buesgen was born on Christmas Day, 1917 in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Lehigh County
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He was the only surviving son of Joseph Herman and Katherine (née Hörth) Buesgen, both second generation German immigrants who worked in Allentown's silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and textile
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
mills. As a young man, Buesgen studied to become a musician, and trained in piano, organ and voice. His family was involved with Allentown's Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church (his grandfather, Henry Buesgen, was a founding member), and he soon became a student of that church's organist and choirmaster, John Birmelin
John Birmelin
John Birmelin has been called the Poet Laureate of the Pennsylvania Dutch and is one of the most popular poets and playwrights in the Pennsylvania German language.-Early life:...
. When Birmelin retired in 1950, Buesgen was given Birmelin's post - a position he would hold for the remainder of his life. Buesgen also actively worked as a piano, organ and voice teacher in Allentown, and served as organist and choirmaster for a number of local churches.
Buesgen was a dedicated student of painting, and studied with both Walter Emerson Baum
Walter Emerson Baum
Walter Emerson Baum was an American artist and educator active in the Bucks and Lehigh County areas of Pennsylvania in the United States...
(1884–1956) and John E. Berninger
John E. Berninger
John Emil Berninger was an American landscape painter and Pennsylvania impressionist. He lived and painted in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
(1897–1981). Like most impressionist painters, Buesgen painted landscapes en plein air
En plein air
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism...
(directly from nature) or from colored slides of photographs he took with his camera.
The greatest influence to Buesgen's work was John E. Berninger, his friend and teacher. For 40 years, Berninger and Buesgen spent nearly every Saturday visiting and talking, and every Sunday afternoon painting together. This relationship continued until Berninger's death in 1981. Buesgen died later that same year.
From June 2 – July 6, 2005, the Baum School of Art
Baum School of Art
The Baum School of Art is a non-profit community art school located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States.In 2007-2008, the school had a total enrollment of 3,326 students, 1,911 of which were children and teens, and 1,415 of which were adults...
hosted a solo exhibition of Buesgen's paintings. In 2006, his paintings were included in a group exhibition at the Baum School highlighting the works of members of the Baum Circle
Baum Circle
The Baum Circle refers to the group of artists either taught by, associated with, or directly influenced by Pennsylvania impressionist painter Walter Emerson Baum...
.
Buesgen married Louisa Falstich with whom they had three children, Karl H. Buesgen,Jr.(1944), Joseph H. Buesgen(Sr.)((1945)), and Mary Catherine Buesgen(1956).