Marcus Behmer


Marcus Michael Douglas Behmer was a German writer and book illustrator, graphic designer and painter.

Biography

Early life and family

Marcus Behmer was a son of the painter Hermann Behmer and a grandson of Merziener Oberamt's Friedrich Behmer and his wife Elise Behmer, youngest daughter of the poet Philippine Engelhard. His uncle Rudolf Behmer – known as a breeder of Merino sheep – was the twin brother of his father. Their sister Louise, the aunt of Marcus was with Heinrich von Nathusius married. His brother Joachim Behmer was also active as an artist.

Life

His artistic beginnings were, as he writes in a letter, in 1896, with his first major success with the illustrations for Wilde's Salome for Insel-Verlag, in 1903. The early works show the influence of Illustration Art Aubrey Beardsley. In the past reception it is this initial dependence in his Salome 's undoing, since many art historians call Behmer afterwards, but the later the inaccurate, as Beardsley epigones. It is true that he soon broke away from this influence and in parallel with the rise of Expressionism and the new impulses of the Wiener Werkstätte developed only its inherent design.
On 1 October 1903, Behmer entered military service, was appointed a corporal on 10 June 1904 and promoted on 22 September 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he participated in WWI. In the summer of 1917 he fell seriously ill "after an operation in the field" and spent six weeks in the military hospital at Jarny. During his time in the army, he produced many so-called "comrades' portraits", usually miniatures, although finely crafted profile views of young soldiers.
From 1902 Behmer did Illustrations for books, designed initials and writings and was responsible for carefully planned book facilities. He worked for the Cranach Press of Count Harry Kessler, and did illustrations in numerous articles for the monthly magazine " Die Insel" for Insel-Verlag. For this publisher he also designed an internationally especially perceived work Illustration consequence to Philipp Otto Runge : The Fisherman un Fru syner. Behmer also worked for other publishers, such as the Paul Cassirer house, where one of his major works was the 40 etchings produced in 1912 for an edition of Voltaire's Zadig. Like many book illustrators, Behmer ran into financial difficulties in the 1920s, but stayed committed to the "small format", as did others such as Alfred Kubin and as opposed to a more competitive career as a gallery artist.
Behmer was close friends with, among others, the family of the writer Ernst Hardt, with the painter Alexander Olbricht and also with the sculptor and painter Dorothea Werner and her husband.
Starting in 1903, he was a member of the first homosexual organization in the world in Berlin. Until now, it was little known that Behmer was sentenced in April 1937 by a court in Konstanz to two years in prison and was arrested in Freiburg and other places in southern Germany. At times he was given the opportunity to work as an artist in prison. The works produced in this period are mostly calligraphic designed tablets with Greek text, and drawings full of bitterness and irony.
From 1943 Behmer lived at the family home of Donata Helmrich, the daughter of Ernst Hardt, in Berlin-Charlottenburg. After he was bombed out in Berlin in early 1944, he went late that autumn to Groẞ Nuhnen, the estate of the Werner family in Frankfurt / Oder. The rest of his life was spent in West Berlin. Dorothea Werner took care of him from 1958 until his death.
Renowned Museums and collections such as the graphic collection of the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Klingspor Museum for calligraphy and typography in Offenbach or the collection Sternweiler in Berlin today house works by Marcus Behmer. A critical appraisal of his work is only now being undertaken and his art-historical importance realized.

Works

Graphics

Solo exhibitions