Schomer Lichtner Figurative Prints
American, 1905-2006
Schomer Lichtner was well known for his whimsical cows and ballerinas and abstract imagery. He and his late wife, Ruth Grotenrath (1912–88), both well-known Wisconsin artists, began their prolific careers as muralists for WPA projects, primarily post offices. Lichtner also painted murals for industry and private clients. Lichtner was a printmaker and produced block prints, lithographs and serigraph prints. His casein (paint made from dairy products) and acrylic paintings are of the rural Wisconsin landscapes and farm animals. He became interested in cows when he and Ruth spent summers near Holy Hill in Washington County. According to David Gordon, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Lichtner had a tremendous joie de vivre and expressed it in his art.
Lichtner was nationally known for his whimsical paintings and sculptures of black-and-white-patterned Holstein cows and elegant ballerina dancers. Lichtner also painted all sorts of combinations of beautiful women, flowers and country landscapes. The late James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, said that his art eventually "exploded into expressionistic design elements with bold, flat areas of color and high energy that anticipated Pop Art." Auer went on to describe Lichtner’s work as full of "wit, vigor and virtuosity." In as early as 1930, Lichtner’s work was shown at the prestigious Carnegie International Exhibition in New York and museums throughout the Midwest. As a student, he was a protégé of another icon of 20th century American art, Gustave Moeller.
Lichtner and his wife, Ruth, are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of paintings and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. Lichtner’s impressive production, perseverance, longevity and positive approach to his life and art made him and his work distinctive and much loved by his many admirers. His work is currently represented in collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the West Bend Museum and in the collections of many individuals. He continued to amaze and create with his whimsical paintings of ballerinas and cows. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Auer referred to Lichtner as the artist laureate of Milwaukee. Lichtner was the official artist of the Milwaukee Ballet and was a recipient of the 2006 Wisconsin Visual Artist Lifetime Achievement Award. He passed away on May 9, 2006 at the age of 101.
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Artist: Schomer Lichtner
"Rest, " Farmer leaning on Work Tool Linoleum Cut signed by Schomer Lichtner
By Schomer Lichtner
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Rest" is an original linoleum print by Schomer Lichtner, signed in the lower right hand corner. It features a man in the act of resting on a stick in the middle of work.
Image: 5.6...
Category
1930s American Modern Schomer Lichtner Figurative Prints
Materials
Linocut
"Meditation, " Figure & Farm Tool Linoleum Cut signed by Schomer Lichtner
By Schomer Lichtner
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Meditation" is an original linoleum print by Schomer Lichtner, signed in the lower right hand corner. It features a man in the middle of a project, in quiet meditation.
Image: 6" x 8"
Framed: 14.5" x 14.37"
Lichtner and his wife, Ruth Grotenrath (1912-1988), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of painting and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. Lichtner’s impressive production, perseverance, longevity, and positive approach to his life and art made him and his work distinctive and much loved by his many admirers. His work is currently represented in collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the West Bend Museum, and in the collections of many individuals. Books on the lives and art work of both Lichtner and Grotenrath are in progress and it is anticipated that they will be published next year. Recipient of the 2006 Wisconsin Visual Artist Lifetime Achievement Award The late Milwaukee artists, Schomer Lichtner and Ruth Grotenrath, created original silkscreen prints as a part of their Christmas celebration starting in the 1940's. The subjects and colors varied from year to year but they laboriously printed these little gems themselves. Ruth Grotenrath, 1912-1988, and her husband, Schomer Lichtner, (1905-2006), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of painting and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. From the outset, Lichtner and Grotenrath were determined to become full-time artists. Ruth Grotenrath and Schomer Lichtner began their careers by creating numerous murals for the WPA (Work Projects Administration), primarily post offices. A wonderful example can be seen in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin post office. Even during the Great Depression they worked producing Post Office murals under the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts (SFA). According to James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, "As art and economic trends evolved, the couple’s palettes brightened and warmed. Both fell under the spell of the Mexican social realists, notably Diego Rivera, and modernists such as Matisse and Dufy. The couple’s perspective changed further after they became friends with philosopher Alan Watts...
Category
1930s American Modern Schomer Lichtner Figurative Prints
Materials
Linocut
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Schomer Lichtner figurative prints for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Schomer Lichtner figurative prints available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Schomer Lichtner in linocut and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1930s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Schomer Lichtner figurative prints, so small editions measuring 15 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Will Barnet, Isabel Bishop, and Benton Murdoch Spruance. Schomer Lichtner figurative prints prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,500 and tops out at $2,500, while the average work can sell for $2,500.