Gunter Böhmer

Biography

Paintings, illustrations, books, book jackets. Born 13 April 1911 in Dresden. 1930-31: studied at the Dresden Kunstgewerbeakademie and Technische Hochschule. 1931-3: studied at the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst, Berlin: teachers included Emil Orlik and Hans Meid. Illustrated books for numerous publishers including Officina Bodoni, Verona (1935-6), Limited Editions Club, New York (1936). 1933: settled in Switzerland; lived in Montagnola, Tessin, near his friend Hermann Hesse. Designed for publishers Suhrkamp, S. Fischer (Frankfurt a.M.), Tschudy (St Gallen, Switzerland), and numerous publishers in Germany, Italy, France and USA. Awarded numerous prizes for his illustrations and book jacket deigns. 1960-76: taught at the Staatliche Akademie der bildenden Künste, Stuttgart. 29 May 1981: Awarded the Hermann-Hesse-Medaille. Died 8 January 1986 in Lugano.

Writings by

  • Tagebuch eines Malers, Olten, 1944
  • ‘Notiz über die Buchillustration’, 1944 (repr. in Halbey, 1957 exh. cat ., below)
  • ‘Buchumschläge! Schutzumschläge!’, Das Schönste, Oct. 1959, pp. 22-7 (repr. in WK, 1996, p. 70)
  • Schriftliches, Olten: Vereinigung Oltner Bücherfreund, 1961
  • ‘Vierzehn Sätze und vierzehn Zeichnungen’, Imprimatur, 1970, pp. 281-96 (repr. in WK, 1996, p. 84)
  • ‘Notizen über die Buchillustration’ (from GB’s Schriftliches, 1961, pp. 39-45, repr. in WK, 1996)
  • Gespräch, (text by GB and Curt Visel), Memmingen: Visel, 1989
  • Das Tagebuch von Gunter Böhmer – Purrmanniana (Eduard Hindelang, ed.), Stuttgart: Thorbecke, 2000.

Writings about

  • Peter Mieg (intro.), Gunter Böhmer, St Gallen: Tschudy, 1963
  • H.A. Halbey, ‘Der Zeichner Gunter Böhmer’, Imprimatur, 1958/60, pp. 27-84
  • GKS, 1962
    • Leopold Zahn, ‘Gunter Bohmer’ (prints), Das Kunstwerk, 1951, v. 3, pp. 42-3
  • Modern Publicity 1953-4, 1953, p. 113
  • Hans Adolf Halbey, ed., Gunter Böhmer (exh. cat.), Offenbach a.M.: Klingspor Museum, 1957 (repr. in WK, 1996, pp. 68-9)
  • Rudolf Adolph, Montagnola, St Gallen: Tschudy, 1957
  • Hans Fegers (ed.), Walter Brudi, Eugen Funk, Gunther Böhmer (exh. cat.), Stuttgart: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, 1963
  • Curt Visel and Hans A. Halbey, Gunter Böhmer, Memmingen, 1967
    • Hans Laut, ‘Exlibris von Illustratoren’, Illustration 63, Aug. 1971, pp. 59-62 Peter Mieg, ‘Am dichterischen Stoff entzündet – Gunter Böhmers Zeichnungen zum “Kroll”’, Badener Tagblatt, no. 35, 22 Nov. 1975 (repr. in WK, 1996, pp. 79-81)
  • Konrad F. Bauer, ‘Gunter Böhmer’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., May 1940, pp. 2-11
  • ‘Laudatio fur Gunter Bohmer’, H.A. Halbey, Im weiten Feld der Buchkunst, Offenbach am Main: Wilhelm Kumm, 1982, pp. 53-63
  • Pfäfflin, 1986
  • biography, WK, 1996, pp. 174-5
  • note on GB’s work, Graphische Kunst, 2000, pp. 74-5
  • Susann Rysavy (ed.), Gunter Böhmer (bibliography of GB’s illustrated books), Warmbronn: Keicher, 2003.
  • International Biographical Dictionary of Central European Emigrés 1933-45, Munich, New York, London, Paris: K.G. Saur, 1983., 1983
  • Deutsche Biographische Enzyklopädie, Munich, London, New Providence: K.G. Saur 1995- (from 1997: Munich only)., 1995
  • G.K. Schauer, ‘The advertising book-jacket 1962’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1963, pp. 8-19
  • Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon, Munich/Leipzig: K.G. Saur Verlag, 1990-., 1996
  • Ernst Fischer and others, Buchgestaltung im Exil 1933-1950. Eine Ausstellung des Deutschen Exilarchivs 1933-1945 Der Deutschen Bibliothek. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2003. Very comprehensive. , 2003, p. 121, and biog. pp. 149-50

Exhibitions

  • Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, 1957
  • Klingspor Museum, Offenbach a.M., 1957
  • Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, 1963
  • Galerie Schwarzes Kloster, Freiburg i. Br., 1971
  • Galerie der Stadt, Stuttgart, 1973
  • Museum Langenargen am Bodensee, 2000.

Collections

  • Gunter Böhmer Stiftung, Calw
  • Klingspor Museum, Offenbach a.M.
  • Staatliche Kunsthalle, Baden-Baden
  • Schiller National Museum, Marbach.