Robert Musils Roman ‘Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften’ und seine kunstlerische Rezeption in dem 1951 entstandenen Illustrationszyklus von Ernst Gassenmeier (1913-1952)

by Michael Gassenmeier and contributions by Manfred Fath and Alfred Huber

Book cover: Robert Musils Roman ‘Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften’ und seine kunstlerische Rezeption in dem 1951 entstandenen Illustrationszyklus von Ernst Gassenmeier (1913-1952)

Extent: 261 pages

Publisher: Universitätsverlag Winter

Subjects: German Studies, Literary Studies

Language: German

Hardback (Published)

(October 2013)

ISBN: 9783825362294

6.5 x 9.65 inches

Price: $25.00

In stock

For Ernst Gassenmeier, who was conscripted as a chemist at the heavily bombed BASF factory during the war, painting, initially taken up purely as a means of survival, became a great passion. After the war, he completed a part time arts course at the Free Academy Mannheim, and then, as a founding member of the “Vereinigung zeitgenossisches Geistesleben Mannheim” (association of contemporary intellectual life Mannheim), devoted himself to the rehabilitation of modern art after its ban during the years of the Third Reich. In the few years before his death in 1952, he created an extensive body of work whose artistic and intellectual level is revealed in his cycle of illustrations on Musil’s novel. In twelve monotypes, he designs congenial graphical equivalents for the mental and emotional disposition of the characters, used by Musil to illustrate in literary form the individual psychologically and socially typical characteristics of the crumbling Habsburg Monarchy. German text.


English summary: For Ernst Gassenmeier, who was conscripted as a chemist at the heavily bombed BASF factory during the war, painting, initially taken up purely as a means of survival, became a great passion. After the war, he completed a part time arts course at the Free Academy Mannheim, and then, as a founding member of the “Vereinigung zeitgenossisches Geistesleben Mannheim” (association of contemporary intellectual life Mannheim), devoted himself to the rehabilitation of modern art after its ban during the years of the Third Reich. In the few years before his death in 1952, he created an extensive body of work whose artistic and intellectual level is revealed in his cycle of illustrations on Musil’s novel. In twelve monotypes, he designs congenial graphical equivalents for the mental and emotional disposition of the characters, used by Musil to illustrate in literary form the individual psychologically and socially typical characteristics of the crumbling Habsburg Monarchy. German description: Fur Ernst Gassenmeier, der wahrend des Krieges als Chemiker in der von Bombenangriffen heimgesuchten BASF dienstverpflichtet war, wurde seine anfanglich als Uberlebensstrategie betriebene Malerei zur grossen Passion. Nach dem Krieg absolvierte er an der Freien Akademie Mannheim ein nebenberufliches Kunststudium, widmete sich im Rahmen der von ihm mitbegrundeten ‘Vereinigung zeitgenossisches Geistesleben Mannheim’ der Rehabilitierung der im Dritten Reich verfemten modernen Kunste und schuf in den wenigen Jahren bis zu seinem Tod 1952 ein umfangreiches eigenes Werk. Beispielhaft fur dessen kunstlerisches und intellektuelles Niveau ist sein Illustrationszyklus zu Musils Epochenroman, in dessen zwolf Monotypien er kongeniale graphische Entsprechungen fur die mentale und emotionale Disposition der Figuren entwickelt, mit denen Musil das individualpsychologisch und gesellschaftlich Typische der ihrem Untergang entgegengehenden Habsburger Monarchie literarisch gestaltet.

  • By (author) Michael Gassenmeier
  • Contributions by Manfred Fath
  • Contributions by Alfred Huber