Hans Strohbach
(Sebnitz 1891 – 1949 Frankfurt/Main)
Strohbach worked as a stage designer in Berlin in the 1920s, including for the Volksbühne theater, before later moving to Dresden.
Max Slevogt
(Landshut 1868 – 1932 Leinsweiler)
Slevogt studied in Munich and Paris and was one of the most versatile artists of his time. From 1901 he lived in Berlin and was a member of the Berlin Secession. In addition to lively Impressionist paintings, he created drawings and prints and worked as an illustrator and stage designer.
Robert Neppach
(Wien 1890 – 1939 Zürich)
After studying classical art in Munich, Neppach was hired as a stage designer at the Frankfurt New Theater. After World War I, he moved to Berlin, where he worked both for the theater and for the young medium of film. His stylized scenography, which drew on Expressionism, had a formative influence on the style of the time. In 1932, he founded his own film production company, which he was forced to give up in 1936. Neppach emigrated to Switzerland and committed extended suicide.
Kolomann Moser
(Wien 1868 – 1918 Wien)
Moser first studied at the Vienna Academy, then at the School of Applied Arts, and began working as an illustrator at an early age. He was one of the founders of the Vienna Secession and designed window decorations for the famous Secession building. In 1900, he was appointed professor at the School of Applied Arts and went on to design decorative arts objects, furniture, interior designs, and stage sets.
Sandor Jaray
(Temesvar 1870 – 1943 London)
Jaray initially studied acting and later turned to sculpture. His connections to the stage can be traced in many of his sculptural works. His most famous work is his portrait statue of the Viennese actor Josef Kainz in the role of Hamlet. He also created portraits of other actors. Jaray emigrated to England in 1938.
Fritz Erler
(Frankenstein 1868 – 1940 München)
Erler studied in Breslau and Paris between 1886 and 1894. He soon made a name for himself as a mural and decorative painter, his monumental paintings often depicting themes from Germanic mythology. During World War I, he produced war paintings for propaganda purposes. His portrait work was devoted to artists and musicians, and from 1933 onwards also to leading Nazi politicians.
Ernst Barlach
(Wedel 1870–1938 Rostock)
Barlach received his artistic training in Hamburg and Dresden. From around 1900 to 1910, he lived in Berlin with interruptions and was represented there by gallery owner Paul Cassirer. A trip to Russia in 1906 was decisive for his artistic development. Coming from Art Nouveau, Barlach developed his own expressive style with concise, block-like figures. Barlach was a member of the Berlin Secession and, from 1919, the Prussian Academy of Arts. Under the Nazis, his works were considered “degenerate.”
Ernst Stern
(Bukarest 1876–1954 London)
After studying at the Munich Art Academy, Stern initially worked as an illustrator for the well-known magazines “Jugend” and “Simplicissimus”. In 1905, Stern moved to Berlin and became a member of the Secession. He quickly rose to become chief set designer at the Reinhardt Theatres, and in the 1920s designed sets for operas, revues, and films. Stern continued to work as a visual artist and created several portfolios of prints. After 1933, Stern emigrated to London.
Emil Orlik
(Prag 1870–1932 Berlin)
After studying in Munich and working independently in Prague, Orlik was appointed head of the graphic arts class at the Berlin School of Arts and Crafts in 1905. He was a member of the Berlin Secession and made a name for himself as a portraitist of numerous figures from the performing and visual arts. Orlik also created designs for stage sets and costumes. He undertook numerous long-distance journeys and was inspired by Japanese woodblock prints.