A 2007 auction sale of a Model No. MT49 tea infuser for $361,000 solidified the reputation of Marianne Brandt as a pivotal figure in industrial design. Born in 1893 in Chemnitz, she navigated a career spanning painting, photography, and sculpture, eventually becoming the only woman to graduate from the metal workshop at the Bauhaus.
Bauhaus Education and Leadership
Brandt studied at the Bauhaus from 1923 to 1929, arriving after initial training at the Grand Ducal College of Art in Weimar. Under mentors such as László Moholy-Nagy, Josef Albers, and Wassily Kandinsky, she transitioned from painting to metalwork. Her influence grew rapidly; in 1928, she succeeded Moholy-Nagy as the acting director of the metal workshop. During this year, she negotiated significant industrial contracts for lighting designs, contributing to the school's finances. Her lamp fittings for the Dessau campus remain notable remnants of this tenure.
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Beyond her leadership in metalwork, Brandt engaged in experimental photography, beginning with a 1923 self-portrait. She frequently explored unusual perspectives and reflections in metal and glass. Her professional design output included ashtrays, tea services, and pendant lights like the 1926 ME78B hanging lamp, which featured a counter-weight system for height adjustment. Following her time at the Bauhaus, she served as head of design at Ruppelwerk Metallwarenfabrik GmbH in Gotha until 1932, when the Great Depression impacted her employment.
Later Career and Life in Germany
During the Nazi period, Brandt faced professional isolation in Chemnitz, though she joined the Reichskulturkammer in 1939 to secure materials for her artistic practice. She later returned to academic instruction after World War II, teaching at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts from 1949 to 1951 and the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin until 1954. She also supervised exhibitions on applied arts in Beijing and Shanghai before dying in Kirchberg in 1983.
Fast facts
- Born: 1893, Chemnitz, Germany
- Died: 1983, Kirchberg, Germany
- Education: Bauhaus, 1923–1929
- Notable Role: Director of Bauhaus metal workshop, 1928–1929
- Known Design: Model No. MT49 tea infuser
- Photography: Started in 1923, featured in 1930s FiFo exhibition
- Later Teaching: Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin
Questions readers ask
Was Marianne Brandt a member of the Nazi Party?
No, she was never a member of the Nazi Party.
What did Brandt teach after World War II?
She was a lecturer at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and later at the Academy of Applied Art in Berlin.