The large-format oil painting titled The Harvest earned Heinrich Nauen a formal letter of appreciation from Henri Matisse after its 1910 exhibition in Paris. This recognition marked a pivotal moment for the Krefeld-born artist, whose career transitioned from the formal rigor of academic training in Stuttgart and Munich to the emotive, vibrant experiments characteristic of German Expressionism.
Academic Formation and Early Circles
Born in 1880, Nauen began his formal artistic education in 1898 at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf before continuing at a private Munich school. He concluded his technical training at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart between 1900 and 1902. Following this, he joined an artist collective in the Flemish village of Sint-Martens-Latem, centered around the sculptor George Minne. His marriage in 1905 to artist Marie von Malachowski-Nauen facilitated a move to Paris, where he adopted the aesthetic influence of Van Gogh and the Fauvist movement.
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Relocating to Berlin in 1906, Nauen became an active member of the Berlin Secession and served on the board of the Deutscher Künstlerbund. Despite discussions with Max Beckmann regarding the formation of an alternative secessionist group, Nauen shifted his focus back to the Rheinland. In 1911, he abandoned Berlin to establish a studio at Schloss Dilborn. His rural residence hosted peers such as Erich Heckel, Franz Marc, August Macke, and Heinrich Campendonk. By 1914, art dealer Alfred Flechtheim organized Nauen's inaugural solo exhibition in Düsseldorf.
Military Service and Academic Leadership
The First World War interrupted Nauen's output when he was inducted into an artillery regiment. Following combat experience and subsequent exposure to poison gas, he was repurposed as a war artist, eventually receiving the Iron Cross in 1917. In the post-war period, he contributed to the founding of the Young Rhineland artists' group. By 1921, he accepted a professorship at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, mentoring students including Julo Levin, Franz Monjau, and Hermann Hundt.
Degenerate Art Classification and Final Years
The rise of the Nazi government brought an end to Nauen's institutional career in 1937, when authorities branded his work as degenerate and mandated his retirement. His pieces were subsequently featured in the state-sanctioned Degenerate Art Exhibition held in Munich. Nauen and his wife relocated to Kalkar, where he passed away from stomach cancer in 1940. His gravesite in the town now features a monument designed by Ewald Mataré and executed by Joseph Beuys.
Fast facts
- Born: 1880, Krefeld
- Died: 1940, Kalkar
- Citizenship: German Reich
- Primary Movement: Expressionism
- Education: State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, Académie Julian
- Notable Employer: Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
- Military Honor: Iron Cross (1917)
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Heinrich Nauen typically paint?
His output largely focused on landscapes, floral still-lifes, and compositions involving oils, watercolors, and prints.
Why was his work classified as degenerate art?
In 1937, the Nazi government deemed his artistic output to be degenerate, leading to his forced retirement and the inclusion of his paintings in the official Degenerate Art Exhibition.
Achievements
- Movement: Expressionism
