Roland paris the art deco jester king

Roland Paris Art Deco’s Jester King

Alberto Shayo

Roland Paris The Art Deco Jester King

Roland Paris The Art Deco Jester King

Alberto Shayo

ACC ART BOOKS

Contents Š Alberto Shayo 2016 World copyright reserved

ISBN: 978-1-85149-???-?

The right of Alberto Shayo to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

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Acknowledgements To Gustavo Larrosa

It is impossible to enter the task of creating a book of this nature without help.

Pedro Tinoco, always with new suggestions and always resolving hitches. His hunger to discover is

I was fortunate. I had plenty of help.

insatiable and his knowledge advances at a steady and

First, I wish to thank my mentor: Mrs. Clara

firm pace.

Sancovsky. If it were not for her, I would still be attending to the dermatological afflictions of patients. Decades ago, she showed me the door to a new world. It transformed my reality. I exchanged the dermatological patterns of skin diseases for the geometric patterns of the art deco world. I never looked back. The fascination

Luiz Octávio Louro Gomes, he opened many doors for me. The extraordinary results are here to see.

Hernan Salazar, whose knowledge on porcelain is equal to none.

Carlos and Irene Morbidelli, always upbeat and supportive.

continues and I look forward to many discoveries. As

Federico Marino with encouragements and insights.

ever, she was instrumental in opening so many doors.

Harry Jarosch sharing with me his experiences. I

My assistant Sharon Kerman – forever diligent and

admire his incessant search of what tomorrow brings.

patient – knows which pages to turn and which ones to

Richard Hughes for his down-to-earth connection.

pursue. She has always been my right hand woman.

Clint Daniel of the C.E. Daniel Collection for throwing

Merci de tout mon coeur.

My family has always encouraged me – with words of

light on the murky waters of the Glider sculpture and its background.

reassurance and putting some sense into my sometimes

Martin Wendl of Wendl Auctions in Rudolstadt.

crazy ideas, yet respecting them all the while. There is a

Alexander Ernst of Dannenberg Auctions in Berlin.

sense of sharing, constant dialogue and plenty of laughter.

Dr. Julia Blaha of Dorotheum Auctions in Vienna.

To each and every member of the Leopoldi family: I

I would like to thank Marcio Roiter, Founder and

am indebted to you all. Though you wish to remain

President of the Art Deco Institute Brazil, Silvia Regina P.

individually anonymous, my thoughts will always be with

de Sousa, Claudia Germano, Marcelo Pedreira, Felix

Helga Leopoldi.

Garcia and Sergio Guevara.

To the great painter in Erlenweg. I am honoured to have met you.

To Hans Jürgens who opened unexpected doors in the most amiable fashion.

To the superb and informative interviews of Michael Mäder and his mother Micaela; as neighbours to the Paris family, their insight is extensive and detailed.

I also wish to thank Antonio Amado in Miami.

Mr. Roland Wood for his altruistic help. His cheer is most welcome.

To the professionals who went beyond the call of duty to make sure that this book is as proficient and accurate as possible: Rainer Querfurth, John Dessarzin, Marcelo Ferrari, Federico Adrián Marino, Danilo Takano and José Dwek.

To my assistant Francisco Pinto, ‘Francis’, always ready to go, always solving problems and always with a smile.

To the many people who have chosen to remain anonymous: your endeavors are not forgotten.

Alastair Duncan, for his unreserved knowledge and vast experience.

7

Preface

Dear friend, if you get hold of this book, try to read through it.

But if you don’t like it and wonder who wrote it, It wasn’t me!1

I was always aware of the figures of Roland Paris. He is odd, he is different and he does not comply with the usual aesthetics of the period. Though his work certainly falls into the Art Deco period, it is not graceful, not elegant, and sometimes not even pleasant to the eye. Yet what he lacks in conventional beauty, he more than makes up for with the grotesque, with caricature and with mockery.

The theme of criticism, whether aimed at himself or at authorities is ever present. So is his fascination with the ghoulish, with that inner force which he describes as devilish. Yet he is not a sympathizer of any occult force, he simply sees the underworld as a source of critique and power. For ten years I pursued this enigmatic figure. Though his surname is Paris, I knew he was not French. He lived and worked in Berlin. So I ventured into the ominous dark clouds of research. Once inside the storm, it is difficult to come out; the search becomes addictive. The path was difficult. Sometimes I encountered lucky pointers on the horizon, sometimes unexpected precipices. But always I was urged on by that incessant itch of unfulfilled curiosity.

Some time ago I found out that doing nothing is the best medicine for overcoming some problems. It worked for me.

In the world of Art Deco, few artists have produced a body of work as distinctive and immediately identifiable as Roland Paris.

If my initial curiosity in Roland Paris came through his bronze figures, I was amazed to

His figures are brimming with character, sometimes to the point of being

discover the diversity of his work, from porcelain, wood, and plaster to woodcuts, prints,

a caricature, or even grotesque. Jesters and clowns, temptresses and

tempera paintings, cartoons, books and oil paintings. There is a macabre elegance that

ingénues, devils and uncanny apparitions, they all possess the

permeates throughout his work.

unmistakable look and “feel” of their singular creator.

I discovered a person who struggled to make a living, yet it seemed he spent every living

The media in which he worked are as diverse as the characters

minute creating and sketching his thoughts, he was fortunate enough to develop those ideas.

themselves: bronze, ivory, porcelain, plaster, oil, tempera, print, woodcut,

His oeuvre is ample and varied. It can be found all over the world. His name has become a

and even the written word.

sort of adjective: something weird is now “so roland paris”.

His parents had an artistic background. He pursued his studies where he wanted. Chose Berlin to live. Married the woman he loved; she was his muse. His work had exposure. He was restless. He criticized the establishment after 1933 in the only way he could: through farce and mockery.

He served in WWl and returned home. At the age of 49, he was called up to serve in WWll as a punishment for non-compliance with government ideas. This time he did not return: he was killed three days before the end of the war. But his legacy remains.

The artist’s fertile imagination was never at rest, and he transformed his ideas into reality with astonishing ease. The flow was rich and constant.

Roland Paris did not stumble into art by accident. From the beginning he was sure of what he wanted and instinctively knew how to go about it.

From early youth, his artistic imagination was stimulated by his upbringing in a literary and theatrical family.

His imaginative universe was tainted by the realities of life in Germany during both World Wars, the last of which brought his life to a tragic end.

I came out of the tempest enlightened and so pleased to have discovered the man, the artist, the legend: Roland Paris.

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Here is his life and work …

9

The Early Years

Above left: Richard Paris (1849-1934). Roland Paris’ father.

Roland Paris was the son of Richard Paris and his wife Therese, née Teufel.2 Both were writers. His family background powerfully shaped his artistic imagination. His world-view was indelibly stamped by the omnipresence

Above right:

of literature and the theatre, and his childhood and youth in Weimar, the

Therese Paris (1868-1942) in 1928.

seat of classical German culture, reinforced that vision.

Roland Paris’ mother.

Richard Paris came from Königsee, in the central German state of Thuringia. Therese came from the town of Waldmünchen in what is today

Previous pages:

Bavaria. The couple met in Munich in 1890 by means of a newspaper

Roland Paris in his studio in Berlin.

advertisement that Richard and a friend of his had taken out in the Münchner Blatt, stating they were each looking for a wife. Therese and a friend of hers answered it. She found Richard very attractive, but he was a Protestant and she was a Catholic. There was no Protestant church in Waldmünchen at the time, and Richard adamantly refused to be married in a Catholic church. However, an agreement was reached, and a Protestant wedding took place in Waldmünchen on 14 July, 1891.3 There were a few other difficulties: the bridegroom was 19 years older than the bride and had a son from a previous marriage. That son, named Hermann, had been born in 1880 in Rudolstadt, a city about 39 kilometres south of Weimar. Richard’s first wife is said to have had “nerve problems”, then a common euphemism for mental illness. It is not known whether the marriage ended in divorce or whether the first wife died.

Opposite page: Roland Paris designed this coat of arms based on his mother’s maiden

In the early years of their marriage, Richard and Therese travelled almost constantly. Although Richard came from a fairly wealthy family, he

name Teufel, which happens to mean

appears to have been searching for his life’s calling during this period.

‘Devil’ in German.

When he met Therese Teufel, Richard and his brother Alfred were running

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Above left:

a champagne winery in Transylvania, Romania (Siebenbürgen in

Roland’s sister, Hertha Paris Facklam,

German). It was located in the town of Guraro (today Gura Râului), and is

1919.

Above right:

said to have been Romania’s first champagne enterprise.

The Paris’s first baby, a daughter, was born in 1892 in the

Wilhelm Facklam preparing for the joint

Siebenbürgen region. She was named Hertha. Very close to her brother

exhibition of paintings with his brother-

Roland, she later collaborated with him on artistic projects, for example

in-law Roland Paris at the Marienpalast

creating batiks after his designs, and making shades for his lamps.

in Schwerin, in September 1933.

Roland Paris’ Marionettes can be seen on the floor.

Hertha went on to marry the painter Wilhelm Facklam, with whom Roland Paris held a joint exhibition in 1933. The two men remained friendly until their different political visions separated them during the Third Reich – Facklam was a supporter and member of the National Socialist Party, while Roland wanted nothing to do with the Nazis.

In 1893 the young family moved again, this time travelling to Budapest to open a branch of the champagne enterprise there.

Around this time the Parises made a stop in Vienna. Exactly how long they stayed there is not known but it was long enough for their second child to be born: Roland was born on 18 March, 1894 in Vienna. He was

Opposite: Hertha Paris Batik. Print 34.5 x 47cm. (131⁄2 x 181⁄2in.)

(Marina Leopoldi collection, Germany)

baptised there in the Protestant faith, as Friedrich Richard Roland Paris.

Budapest and Vienna are quite close geographically, but there was also a logical to the move, for the Austro-Hungarian Empire had a common currency, which facilitated business dealings. Each of the Paris

Hertha Paris, Roland Paris’ sister, had a Batik workshop and was responsible for the lampshade designs and fabrics. This poster, created by Roland Paris advertised her wares.

14

family’s westward moves— from modern-day Romania to Hungary, and from Hungary to Vienna, brought them closer to Germany.

The 1894 Vienna address book lists Roland Paris as a “Privatier”, or “Gentleman of Leisure”. The following year, apparently no longer leisurely, 15

he is described as the inventor of the Paris sunshade for tourists, which Richard and his brother Alfred had recently patented. The brothers appear to have had high hopes for the commercial success of the “ParisTouristen-Schirm” (Paris-Tourist-Shade), a collapsible sunhat for tourists.

The Paris tourist visor was adorned with a splendid anthropomorphic sun design, magnanimously dispensing its rays far and wide. The patent holders are listed as R. Paris, Vienna and A. Paris, in Frankfurt am Main – it seems that Alfred had returned to Germany.

It may be that the brothers’ champagne business had not fared well.

Family legend has it that the Parises were “their own best customers”.

They partook liberally of their own merchandise, constantly inviting friends, family and acquaintances, and hosting lavish parties at which the champagne flowed freely.

Whatever the reason, in May 1895 Richard Paris abandoned the winery.4 He took his family to Oberköditz in Germany, where he worked as an accountant in the family porcelain factory.

The Paris Brothers’ factory produced general porcelain wares, and exhibited at the Leipzig Commercial Fair. Years later Roland Paris himself Below: Brochure for the “Paris-Tourist-Visor” (1895). Patented by Roland Paris’

would also be an exhibitor at this fair.

Therese and Richard Paris’s third child Carolin Justus Siegfried was

It is not known how the porcelain factory fared, but in September 1899 Therese Paris packed up her children and the family belongings, and left

born in Oberköditz on April 16, 1899. This rather florid, Latin-inspired

for Weimar. As to the choice of Weimar, it was most likely because it was

name incorporates the pen names of both parents. In their new aspiration

the closest large city, and therefore offered better opportunities to make

open-air outing” offering “protection for

to be writers, Richard and Therese both used noms de plume: Carolin

friends and open a business. Richard followed her shortly afterwards,

the eyes and shade for the face”

Justus and Carola Justus, respectively. The boy was known as Siegfried.

abandoning his work in the porcelain factory.

father Richard and uncle Alfred claiming to be “indispensable for every

Above: Advertisement for the Paris porcelain enterprise.

By 1900 the Parises were settled in Weimar.4 Richard was pursuing a writing career; Therese opened a boarding house for young girls. Besides furnishing lodging and meals, the enterprising and imaginative young woman also taught them English and French – she reportedly spoke the latter language well. Therese only ran her “Töchter-Pensionnat” (boarding house for girls from good families) for a few years, from approximately 1900 to 1904.

A fourth child, named Rupprecht, was born in Weimar on 15 February, 1902. He went on to become a successful singer and actor, performing in Sondershausen, Nuremberg, Bonn, and other cities in Germany.

Rupprecht and his wife Henny had two children, Ingeborg and Ronald.

Ronald Paris (born 1933) is today an active and well-known painter.

The last child, Wulf Eberhard, was born in Weimar in 1910. He later The Cardboard visor. “Whoever has tried it even once…will appreciate its lightness, simplicity,

named Dorothea Geist. He was killed during the Second World War, in his

robustness, and exceptionally low price… and

early thirties. His son Hans Jürgen still lives in Weimar.

will not want to part with it” !

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worked in a wholesale food store, and married another store employee,

The move to Weimar was to be Therese and Richard’s last; they lived 17

book Rautendelein, the story of a forest ranger’s daughter, drew extensively on her own life experiences.

Therese’s books for girls may originally have been inspired by her experiences as a boarding house keeper, when the young girls in her charge confided in her, telling her their problems, joys and heartaches. She was very prolific: Die Wandervogel (The Wandering Bird), Lilliput und der goldene Schlüssel (Lilliput and the Golden Key), Drei Wege ins Leben (Three Paths in Life), Es läutet das Glöcklein von Innisfar (The Bell of Innisfar is Ringing), are the titles of just a few of her novels. The German National Library lists 55 titles authored by Therese Paris, ranging in date from 1913 to 1937; and that list is very likely incomplete.

While Therese was a very energetic and determined person, Roland Paris’ family, left to right: Eberhard Paris (1910-1943), brother Rupprechet Paris (1902-1955), brother

Richard is said to have been quiet and unassuming, though with an explosive temper.

His very nationalistic writings idealised the “German”

Henny Paris, née Klose (1906-1982), Rupprecht’s wife

character, in a reflection of ideas that at the time were

Richard Paris (1849-1934), father

widespread. Germany had been created only a few decades

Siegfried Paris (1899-1967), brother

earlier, and thinkers and writers were searching for an identity for the newly unified country.

Below: Cartouche design by Roland Paris to

While just a few decades later the Nazis twisted these ideas there for the rest of their lives. But while they had ceased their travelling,

to build the foundation of their brutal regime, Richard Paris’s

ein echter Deutscher sein? (Would

they were still searching for a way to earn their living and even within

idealisation of the “German spirit” cannot be construed as Nazi

you be a true German?)

Weimar, they moved frequently: in 1902 they lived at 4, Kohlstrasse; in

ideology. At the time he wrote his poem Willst du ein echter

illustrate his father’s poem, Willst du

1910 at 7E, Belvederer Allee; and in 1913 at 26, Sedanstrasse.

In the early 1920s, Roland helped boost the family income by

Reich was as yet unthinkable. The same, however, cannot be

copying his father’s poems in handsome calligraphy, adorning them

said for Therese, who appears to have been an admirer of the

with a large, decorative letter in the medieval style. Richard is also

National Socialist ideal – unlike her son Roland.

said to have produced postcards with picturesque landscapes that were sold for a modest profit.

Therese must eventually have decided that literature was her

Despite Therese’s untiring promotion of Richard’s work, his literary career never really took off. At the time of his death in 1934, he was largely an unknown; today his name is forgotten.

surest source of income. She had most likely begun writing while in

Nevertheless, in the family legend and no doubt in Roland’s

Oberköditz, as a way of overcoming her isolation and loneliness.

mind, he was always “The Writer” – a noble and high-minded

Literature was to become her primary occupation and her way of

figure who commanded respect.

defining herself and her husband.

Therese wrote many plays, including Die Frau des Herrn (The

18

Deutscher sein? (“Would you be a true German?) the Third

Richard died at the age of 85, on 25 November, 1934; his wife Therese passed away on 26 February, 1942.

Gentleman’s Wife). Published in 1910, it was staged several times: in

While neither Richard’s nor Therese’s grave still exists today,

Weimar, Leipzig, Kiel, Landsberg, and Jena. However, she was best

in Weimar’s Hauptfriedhof (main cemetery) a high-relief plaque

known for her novels for young women, which always featured a

sculpted by Roland and bearing a romantic depiction of Richard

good-hearted, curious and intrepid young girl as their heroine. Her

in profile is now affixed to the grave of Siegfried and his wife

Some of the many novels by Therese Paris 19

The bronze memorial relief plaque by Roland Paris in honour of his father, Richard. The plaque adorns the tombstone of Siegfried and Friedel Paris (Roland Paris’ brother and sister-in-law) amid other family members all buried at the Historical Cemetery in Weimar.

Roland also created a similar plaque in bas-relief (see left).

Richard Paris by Roland Paris Bronze bas-relief plaque 48 x 34.5cm (19 x 13½in.)

Private collection

Henny. Originally adorning Richard’s gravestone, it was transferred when the parental tombs were destroyed to make room for new ones.

The Paris family was an unusual one in which art, beauty, and ideas were prized above all else. The family was continually scrabbling to earn a meagre living, yet money was never their main concern. They knew how to enjoy themselves, and all the siblings played an instrument, either the Opposite: Bust of Richard Paris by Roland Paris Bronze on marble base

guitar or the piano. They played well enough to liven up informal family gatherings. While at times Therese was preoccupied by her writing and

Height: 45cm. (17¾in.)

forgot to tend to her children, she remained the family’s immutable force,

(Private collection, Hamburg)

and the atmosphere in the Paris home was artistic, animated and joyful.

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playwright Friedrich Schiller, with whom Goethe had become friendly in 1794, also moved to Weimar in 1799, inaugurating a period of intense creative collaboration between the two writers.

Weimar has a rich musical history as well, of which Roland Paris would have been well aware, growing up in the town. In 1848, the flamboyant composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt came to Weimar, where he wrote and finished many of his most important compositions, including his Faust and Dante symphonies. Composer Richard Wagner also passed through Weimar in 1849, when he was fleeing Dresden due to his support of the 1848 revolution.

Also the final home of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Weimar’s reputation was such that in 1912 Franz Kafka made a pilgrimage there to pay homage to the spirit of Goethe.

Elementary and Secondary School Little is known about Roland’s early education. His earliest surviving school report cards date from Easter 1902 indicates that he was an excellent student.

At the age of 11, Roland started at the Weimar Großherzoglicher Realgymnasium (The Weimar Grand Ducal Grammar School). At this point his grades began falling except in drawing, in which he always got top marks.

By 1908 – he was then 14 – other interests had clearly become more important than schoolwork. The teacher admonished: “Roland must work much harder and exert himself more, especially in Latin, English, Arithmetic and Earth Science.”

Above left and right: Roland Paris as a child with his sister Hertha.

As a teenager, Roland was curious about the origin of his parents’

In 1909 Roland was a student at the Weimar Großherzoglichen

names, painting elaborate watercolour sketches of the Paris and Teufel

Kunstgewerbeschule (Weimar Grand Ducal School of the Applied Arts),

coat of arms. His father’s name, Paris, was quite unusual in Germany and

run by the well-known architect and designer Henry van de Velde.5

probably indicated Huguenot roots. His mother’s maiden name, Teufel,

Van de Velde had been invited to Weimar in 1902 by Grand Duke

was even more evocative. It means “devil” in German, and this

Wilhelm Ernest to revolutionise the teaching and practice of the applied

undoubtedly left its mark on his impressionable artist’s brain, heightening

arts in the region, for it was recognised that a new relationship between

his fascination with diabolical and enigmatic characters.

the arts and industry had become necessary. There was a demand for articles that, while mass-produced, were also beautiful and well designed.

Elitism had become outmoded. The new era required items that were

THE WEIMAR INFLUENCE Roland lived in Weimar from the time he was five. It was there that he grew up

During his stay in Weimar, Van de Velde raised the level of technical

and received most of his artistic training. Living in Weimar was an education

education, seeking to create a style for the 20th century. His classes were

in itself. Home to many of Germany’s – and the world’s – most important

held in the new Applied Arts School building that he himself had designed.

philosophers, writers and artists, the city is a symbol of what German scholar W.H. Bruford called “all that is best in German thought and inspiration”.

Summoned to Weimar as an artistic advisor in 1775, the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe had an enormous influence on the cultural development of the city; living here until his death in 1832. The poet and 22

democratic, useful, and commercial.

After the First World War, the complex of arts schools in Weimar became the Bauhaus school of design, which was to be highly influential in 20th-century design and architecture. The building, still standing today, is today one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Teaching at Van de Velde’s school broke with tradition. Rather than 23

certain that Roland came into contact with him; in 1909, when he began his studies, the school had been in existence for only two years and there were only a small number of students. While attendance grew quickly, in the school’s third year, 1909-1910, only 39 students were enrolled.

In 1912, along with eleven other students, Roland received a second and third prize for his designs for Student Corporations; this included a monetary prize of 25 Marks. These designs, which he continued to create for two or three years, are early indications of his remarkable graphic talent. Many of them show the influence of the Art Nouveau style, while also tending toward a more modern graphic approach.

Around 1912, Roland Paris pursued his artistic studies by taking

Weimar Applied Arts School today (A

sculpture classes with Gottlieb Elster at the Weimar Fine Arts School

UNESCO World Heritage Site). Roland

(Hochschule für bildende Kunst).6

Paris studied here under Henry van de

Elster favoured strong and simple forms.7 A regular exhibitor at the major

Velde between 1909 and 1912.

art exhibitions: Berlin, 1907, 1912, 1913, as well as the Munich Glaspalast, he executed several important monumental sculptures. He also produced works of applied art—among them vases adorned with plant motifs—for the Berliner Porzellanmanufaktur. Several of his monuments still stand today: that of the Crown Prince Friedrich II (Rheinsberg); Kleist (Frankfurt an der Oder); Laehr’s funeral monument (Zehlendorf near Berlin); and Queen Louise (Weissensee near Berlin). Elster headed the Sculpture School for only a few years,

Brass and copper designs made by Roland Paris during his studies at the Applied Arts School in Weimar.

returning in 1913 to his native Braunschweig, where he died in 1917.

Roland Paris then travelled to Munich to pursue his studies, working with several teachers – in his own words, “without becoming attached to any one master”.8 As Elster had himself studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, it is possible that Roland travelled to Munich at his suggestion.

The elegant staircase in the Weimar

By 1913 Roland was back in Weimar, studying painting under Walther

Applied Arts School, designed by

Klemm at the Hochschule für bildende Kunst (Fine Arts School).

Henry van de Velde

require the students to slavishly imitate past styles, the students were encouraged to embrace a spontaneous creative style based on the principle that “form follows function”. Van de Velde believed that each object had its “exact, logical form”.

Among the subjects taught at the Weimar Applied Arts School were the “science of colours”, technical design, and modelling. The commercial aspect was not shunned; students were encouraged to consider that their work was meant to be bought and sold. They often designed utilitarian objects such as lamps; throughout his career Roland Paris made lamps, umbrella and cane heads, as well as other useful articles.

While Roland Paris was a student at the Applied Arts School, Henry van de Velde was still an influential trailblazer of European modernism. It is almost 24

Postcard design created in Munich.

25

Walther Klemm Klemm, born in 1885 in Karlsbad, was one of the 20th century’s most important painters and printmakers.

He studied at the Vienna School of Applied Arts under Anton Kenner and Kolo Moser, while also taking Art History courses with Julius von Schlosser at the University of Vienna. After participating in a 1904 Wiener Secession exhibition, in 1910 Klemm joined the Berliner Secession movement. In 1913 he began teaching graphic art at the Weimar Fine Arts School.

During his time in Weimar, Klemm was very prolific, producing many illustrations, animal prints, and other works. He was a friend of Harry Graf Walther Klemm, self-portrait. Woodcut.

Kessler, an enlightened patron of the arts (also a good friend of Henry van de Velde). After WWII, Klemm helped rebuild the Fine Arts School that had been damaged in the war. He died in Weimar in 1957.

Influenced by Japanese etchings, Klemm’s work showed a true mastery of line and spatial relationships as well as a keen dramatic sense.

He illustrated many books with woodcuts, creating black and white images in an expressionist manner. Some of these depict strong-willed heroes and anti-heroes.

Roland Paris treated some of the same themes as Klemm: Don Quixote, Faust and prints with erotic subjects. While the work of the two men is very different, a common thread runs through both: an indulgent view of human weakness, a celebration of our common humanity, and a compassionate attitude towards the “underdog”, the patient and long-suffering victim.

Above left: Don Quixote by Cervantes, illustrated by Walther Klemm.

Above right: Don Quixote charging against the windmills. Woodcut by Walther Klemm from Leben und Taten des scharfsinningen Edlen Don Quixote van la Mancha, published by Hermann Klemm, early 1920s..

Left to right:

Left: Self portrait wearing ‘elevated’ shoes, Roland Paris, pencil sketch

Woodcut illustrations by Walther Klemm from an edition of Faust by Goethe,

Centre: Wilhelm Tell, published by Gustav Kiepenheuer Verlag, 1920s, illustrated by Walther

published by Einhora-Verlag, Dachav.

Klemm.

Left: a vision of Heaven, Purgatory and

Right: Goliath. Illustrated by Walther Klemm.

Hell; Right: design of a conjurer using alchemy to prepare a concoction with the help of his aides: four monkeys.

26

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He was sent to the Russian front, where he served until 31 January, 1919.9 Initially in a commando unit, he was subsequently assigned to the Aviation Administration (Inspektion der Fliegertruppe).

Nationalistic feelings prevailed throughout Europe. A hostile euphoria spread among the people of most countries, leading to joyful celebrations in major European cities when war was declared. The revellers had no inkling of the slaughter and destruction that was to come.

As one might expect, the soldier Roland Paris viewed military life from a satirical distance. On 9 June, 1915, shortly before leaving Weimar for Russia, he decorated a page in his sister Hertha’s autograph book the kind many girls kept at the time, filled with poetry, drawings, and friends’ autographs. His gouache illustration depicted three saluting soldiers lined up in a row. Below them, the painter who has just created them—also a soldier—steps back to survey his work, palette and paint-tipped brushes in hand. In this deceptively simple vignette, Roland has found a way of simultaneously mocking himself (the artist observing the scene) and the military universe he was about to enter. He signed it “Im Kriegsjahr 1915. Dein Bruder Roland. W. 9.VI.15” (‘In Above:

World War I

Roland Paris in his WWI uniform.

Germany declared war on Russia and then France in August 1914.

enjoyed, he was absolutely right. The conflict, which optimistic

21 years old, a handsome young man with a strong face dominated by

commentators had predicted would be a mere skirmish, “over by

heavy eyebrows, an imposing nose, and high, pronounced cheekbones.

Christmas”, turned out to be brutal and protracted.

December 1915.

A few months after his departure, Roland wrote again to his sister, sending her a postcard illustrated with his own watercolour sketch of a

Though not very tall (he is said by the family to have worn height-

man wearing a green tunic, boots and a cap, and holding a pail and a

dated 9 June 1915. (Private collection,

enhancing shoes), he was a dashing and romantic young man with

broom. Dated 12.12.15.

Berlin)

expressive eyes and large, sensitive hands.

dedication from her brother Roland,

Russian front during WWI, dated 12

If Roland feared that the war would tear him away from the life he had

especially those depicting the devil or mysterious, menacing characters.

Hertha Paris’s autograph book with a

sent to his sister Hertha from the

the war-year of 1915. Your brother Roland W[eimar]. 9.VI.15.’)

Roland was called up to fight for his country the following June. He was

His striking face served as a model for many of his masculine figures, Below:

Postcard illustrated by Roland Paris

“Dear Hertha!

I am sending you a picture of our Russian, who cleans our room each day.

However, the room will soon be abandoned, for we are moving to Kowno.

Affectionate greetings, Your brother

Card by Roland Paris sent to his brother Ruprecht during WWI.

Roland” In another card to his brother Rupprecht, Roland expresses a wistful desire. Illustrated with a soldier – one suspects a self-portrait – wearing worn-out boots and carrying a Bible under one arm and a goose (dinner?) under the other, who is rushing to church to attend his brother’s confirmation ceremony. The text says “Dear Rupprecht, your brother 28

29

Roland extends his heartfelt congratulations on your confirmation and

“proper” prior to the war. Returning soldiers, who often found it difficult to

hopes you will have a peaceful, happy life!”

find employment, were confronted with a fast-rising cost of living due to

The short text and the illustration suggest the war was weighing heavy on Roland’s spirits. Like many German soldiers at the Russian front, he was

inflation. The war retributions imposed on Germany created many hardships for the general populace.

probably cold and hungry. It is difficult not to see the goose and the patched boots as longing reminiscences of warmth and home cooking.

The Great War, embarked on so light-heartedly, had heavy

Roland Paris made a radical life decision. Upon his return from the war, at

consequences. Each of the major belligerents lost its form of government:

the age of 24, he decided to leave Weimar and to embark on a career as

the German, Turkish, and Austro-Hungarian Empires all collapsed. In

an artist in Berlin. The reasons for this dramatic change are unclear. He

Russia, the Revolution led to the creation of the United Soviet Socialist

himself said simply: “Since the end of the war, I have lived in Berlin, as a

Republic. Nearly all the important events of the remaining years of the

painter and sculptor.”10 The years of hardship and horror must have left

20th century, including WWII, the Cold War, the unification and later

him eager to embark on a new life, impatient to leave his student days

breakup of Yugoslavia, and the Serbian-Croatian conflict, were direct

behind and to embrace his chosen profession.

consequences of the Great War. Those who had initially welcomed The Great War had imagined it would

It was in Berlin that Roland’s life as an artist began in earnest, and it was there that he spent the happiest and most creative years of his life.

be like previous conflicts: small in scale, with man-to-man combats that

Post-war Berlin, the cultural capital of the newly formed Weimar

were quickly won or lost. But technology exponentially increased the

Republic,11 was an exciting place to live and work. Roland Paris surely

conflict’s horror, as machine guns, chemical weapons, tanks, new artillery,

enjoyed the heady and light-hearted atmosphere, just as he must have

flame-throwers, and aircraft, magnified the slaughter on an

been inspired by the city’s hectic pace and frenetic energy.

unprecedented scale.

On the Eastern Front, where Roland was sent, the losses were terrible.

The period was extraordinarily effervescent. During the 1920s, sometimes called the Weimar Republic’s “Golden Age”, everything

Over 3 million men died in battle, and more than 9 million were wounded. As

seemed to be permitted. Tolerance reigned, eroticism was ever-present,

the war continued, soldiers on both sides, who had been led to believe the

and life was delightfully ebullient. With the end of the authoritarian

conflict would be short – though the high commands knew better – grew

Wilhelmine government and its censorship, long pent-up energies were

discouraged as they realised no speedy end was in sight.

set free. The sense of release was palpable, as people sought to live life

By the summer of 1918 – Roland had been mobilized for three years – most German soldiers had realised that their side could not win the war.

Germany was forced to seek an armistice in early November, 1918. A

to the fullest and to forget the long and brutal war.

All forms of art, dance, and theatre flourished; Berlin quickly superseded Paris as the hedonistic capital of the world. The cabaret

telegram from Ferdinand Foch, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces

scene was lively, the theatre flourishing, and dance halls sprang up

on the Western Front, ordered the end of hostilities at 11 o’clock A.M. of

everywhere. Dance, probably the most popular form of entertainment in

the 11th day of the 11th month – coincidentally also the start of Carnival

Weimar Berlin, encouraged people to abandon themselves to the

season in Germany. One imagines the irony was not lost on Roland Paris,

syncopated beat of irresistible music. And if they didn’t want to dance

a former Carnival reveller.

themselves, they could attend theatre and cabaret performances.

While he and all the other soldiers on both sides of the conflict must

Roland’s wife, Lisl, is said to have been a dancer at the Theater des

have been immensely relieved to return home, they were faced with a

Westens, where dance revues featured regularly. One of Berlin’s most

situation almost as unsettling as the war.

famous musical theatres, the Theater des Westens was near the

The homes to which they returned had changed, often beyond

30

Berlin

Wilmersdorf quarter where the Parises lived.

recognition. Due to the many casualties, everyone knew someone who

It was where tenor Enrico Caruso made his Berlin debut, and where

had been killed or wounded. Women had been forced to do the jobs of

Anna Pavlova danced. Dance shows, including gala revues with dozens

the men who had gone to war, and were now used to working outside their

of costumed performers were often given there, perhaps Lisl danced in

homes, something girls from “good families” would not have considered

the chorus of one of these reviews.

31

Hedonism of Berlin The cabarets of Weimar Berlin were famous. Berliners and well-known celebrities flocked to establishments such as the Roland von Berlin cabaret (one of the earliest), the Wintergarten, the Tingle-Tangle, the Residenz (where the tables were equipped with telephones and pneumatic tubes so you could send perfect strangers sitting at other tables gifts and invitations to dance or to have a drink), the Eldorado (a transvestite club, later closed and turned into Nazi headquarters).

Modern dance priestess Mary Wigman performed at the Theater des Westens in 1926; American singer and dancer Josephine Baker also performed there, in shows such as La Revue Nègre in 1925, and Bitte Einsteigen (All Aboard) in 1928. As of 1921, a cabaret run by singer and show-woman Trude Hesterberg opened in an underground space.

Though it closed in 1928, in 1931 composer and songwriter Friedrich Hollaender opened his own cabaret, the Tingel-Tangel-Theater, where the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Curt Bois, and Erich Mühsam performed.

Hollaender said: “The cabaret… is … the happy child of an eleventh muse, conceived in an easy-going love affair with the theatre, variety shows, and political tribunals… That is the secret of the cabaret: the aphoristic novel, the burst of a short-lived drama, the two-minute song of our times, the sweetness of love, the heartbeat of unemployment, the bewilderment of politics, the standard-issue uniform of cheap amusement.

red to gold and then to green. The lighted advertisements flash with the

Theater des Westens in

All without the drain of five acts, three volumes, a thousand kilos of

pathetic reiteration of coastal lighthouses. The trams swing and jingle. The

Charlottenburg, Berlin at the beginning

psychology—in the form of a pill, which might be bitter into the bargain.

jaguar in the zoo paces feverishly all night… In the Tiergarten the little lamps

Who has ever seen enough of a fireworks display?”12

flicker among the little trees, and the grass is starred with the fireflies of a

before meeting and marrying Roland

thousand cigarettes. Trains dash through the entrails of the city and thread

Paris. The theater is still standing and in

girls, performed their perfectly synchronised moves in Berlin. Certain

their way among the tiaras with which it is crowned… For in the night air,

use today.

dancers left an indelible mark on the city. The scandalous yet fabulously

which makes even the spires of the Gedächtniskirche (the Kaiser Wilhelm

popular actress and dancer Anita Berber often danced totally nude.

Memorial Church) flicker with excitement, there is a throbbing sense of

Berber, who was briefly married to the flamboyant dancer Sebastian

expectancy. Everybody knows that every night Berlin wakes to a new

Droste, was famous throughout Europe during the 1920s. Berber’s and

adventure. Everybody feels that it would be a pity to go to bed before the

Droste’s careers were intense but short-lived due to their abuse of alcohol

expected, or the unexpected, happens. Everybody knows that next morning,

and drugs. Anita Berber died at the age of 29 in an apartment littered with

whatever happens, they will feel reborn”.13

“Girly” revues were all the rage. Many showgirl acts, including the Tiller

empty morphine syringes and statues of the Virgin Mary.

Sexual liberty was rife, and the wildest extravagances were greeted with a

32

performed here as a revue dancer

And yet, while Berlin’s animation was contagious and its feverish activity inebriating, some observers felt the energy was slightly tainted. A

shrug and a worldly smile. It was said that no self-respecting German school-

bit degenerate, a bit sinful, maybe even a little bit toxic, the air of Berlin

girl in the 20’s would admit to being a virgin, and in many circles homosexuality

(“Berliner Luft”) was touted as both a tonic and a poison. Yet people

was fashionable. The entire city seemed hell-bent on indulging itself.

flocked from all over to partake of this poison, indulging themselves

All observers agree on the city’s unique energy. In the words of the British

of the 20th century. Elisabeth Austin

voraciously. Life was exciting, times were good, and fun was plentiful. The

diplomat and writer Harold Nicholson: “There is no city in the world so

city glowed in a seemingly endless upward spiral. In the 1920s most

restless as Berlin. Everything moves. The traffic lights change restlessly from

Berliners found it easy to believe the party would go on forever.

33

re-size pic For Roland Paris these were good times, in both his personal and his artistic life.

On January 12, 1924, at the age of 30, he married Elisabeth Austen.

Born on 1 May 1897, in Fellhammer, Elisabeth Klara Anna Austen was the daughter of Ludwig Karl Theodor Austen, a stationmaster, and Anna Hermine Auguste Brüske. While Roland had been brought up a Protestant, Lisl was Catholic like Roland’s mother Therese. Known to everyone as “Lisl”, she was a pert, pretty, and outgoing young woman with a gift for conversation. While Lisl was friendly, Roland was reserved and introverted, though by all accounts, very kind. Both he and Lisl were shorter than average; he wore elevated shoes to gain a few inches. Elisabeth was pretty; she was the model for most of Roland’s female figures. He used his own face as a model when portraying certain types of male characters – particularly fools, jesters, devils, and brooding or menacing figures.

Roland and Elisabeth Paris.

The marriage certificate cites the “Sculptor and painter Friedrich Richard Roland Paris and Elisabeth Klara Anna Austen, who does not work”. Their witnesses were Johannes Wolter, a 28 year-old technician (Techniker) living in Spandau at Bismarckstrasse 59, and the groom’s brother Siegfried Paris, described as a “bookseller and art dealer” and listed as residing near his brother at Schweidnitzer Strasse 1 in the Wilmersdorf area of Berlin. This may have been wishful thinking on Siegfried’s part, for he seems to have lived all his life in Weimar; perhaps he was only visiting Berlin at the time.

The marriage certificate further states that both Roland and Elisabeth

Below: 11 Xantener Strasse, Berlin as it stands today. Roland Paris lived here with his

lived at Xantener Strasse 11, in Berlin’s Wilmersdorf quarter. This building, where they lived all their married lives, is still standing today.

Their apartment consisted of one small room under the eaves on the

wife

uppermost floor of the “back house”. Many residential buildings in Berlin are

Opposite:

made up of an elegant “front house” that looks out onto the street and a “back

Roland Paris in his atelier

house”, separated from the front house by a courtyard, where the dwellings were cheaper because they were darker and the air did not circulate as freely.

This one-room apartment, which the Paris’s always called the “atelier”, was curtained off to form an entrance, a living/sleeping/working space, and a kitchen. It was very small, about 9½ meters by 5 meters. On one side the ceiling sloped, following the shape of the roof; much of it was a large skylight about 2½ meters wide by 1½ meters high. It offered an excellent view of both the building’s roof and the sky and stars. The roof beams had been painted a

34

35

re-size pic

but they were always impeccably clean and smartly dressed.

The Parises were on friendly terms with two other families in the Xantener Strasse building: the Mäder family and a couple named Brühning. The Brühnings were pacifists – clearly not Nazi sympathizers – and Mr. Brühning

Above: Elisabeth and Roland Paris in their atelier surrounded by ‘friends’.

Opposite below left:

was a faith healer. The Mäders, who had two young daughters, socialised

A young Michael Mäder sitting with: left

with the Parises at least once a week. Roland was always kind to the little

to right, his grandfather, Alfred Mäder;

girls when they visited; he would give them something nice to eat, even

Theo Mylius, and in the forefront

during the years when money and food were scarce, often making them bread with mettwurst (sausage spread). He enjoyed cooking for the children and loved to make them laugh.14 Perhaps, therefore, it is surprising that he

Elisabeth Paris. On her 80th birthday in her apartment in Xantener Strasse. The Mäder’s and Paris’ were neighbours.

Berlin 1st May 1977

and Lisl never had any children of their own. All who knew them say they were a happy couple who got along well together.

Despite its lack of luxury, Roland and Lisl lived very contentedly in the atelier. Knowing how prolific Roland was, it is very moving to think that Above left:

fiery red with thin silver stripes (one imagines, by Roland). This tiny space

nearly his entire body of work – the models for the sculptures, and the

Elisabeth and Roland Paris (seated) in

was packed full of Roland’s work – sculptures, paintings, lamps – all

drawings, sketches and paintings – were all created in this tiny space.

their atelier, 1924. Standing behind them are Siegfried (Roland’s brother) with his wife Friedl (on the left) amid other ‘friends’.

Above right: Hertha Facklam and Elisabeth Paris (sisters in law) amid ‘friends’.

crowded together and displayed as best they could be. There was also a small basement room that Roland used as a storeroom.

A painting of Don Quixote hung near the dining room table; a large

36

atelier with ‘friends’

in the Xantener Straße. Founded in November 1919, the new company began with a capital of 10,000 Marks.

In August 1937 Roland made his brother Siegfried an authorised agent

hung two portraits: a self-portrait of Roland and a portrait of Elisabeth, both

of the publishing house. Several works bear the Roland Paris Verlag imprint,

sporting red hats. Lisl and Roland had covered the floor with several old

including the woodcut series Tänzerinnen (Dancers), Karneval (Carnival),

carpets, overlapping them to create a colourful patchwork.

Höllenreigen (Hellish Round), and the etchings and lithographies Leichtes

Though the apartment was small, it was also poorly insulated and

Blut (Light of Heart) and Gespenster (Ghosts). The publishing house was

heated only by a single multi-fuel stove. On cold days, even if the stove

dissolved in February of 1942; by that time the firm probably cost more to

was burning constantly, it never really got warm. The toilet was on the

maintain than it brought in.15

was neither shower nor bath. Presumably the couple had to sponge bathe,

Elisabeth Paris at the piano in the

The artist also registered a publishing house, the Roland Paris Verlag,

painting of a Jester sitting on a rooftop also adorned the room. Over the bed

landing, where the water tap – cold water only – was also located. There

Opposite below right:

During the 1920s, his first decade in Berlin, Roland Paris encountered a positive response to his work, and was surely able to make enough money to 37

support himself and his wife. Roland made friends in his neighbourhood’s artistic community. He was a member of the Wilmersdorf Artists’ Group (Der Verband Wilmersdorfer Künstler), whose other members included the local artists Wilhelm Beindorf, Hans Schmidt and Wolf von Mosch. An invitation to a spring costume ball held by the group on 3 March, 1934, requests that guests come in colourful costumes and “in the best of humour”. Around this time, Roland exhibited some pieces in a showroom at number 52 Motzstrasse, in Wilmersdorf. It was called the “House of the Joy of Art” (Haus der Kunstfreude) Roland took part in another collective exhibition in December 1921. The Berliner Westen reported: “The Christmas art fair in the new Schöneberg Above left: Invitation to an exhibition of Roland Paris’ works.

Above right: Letterhead for Roland Paris’s publishing house.

City Hall on Rudolf-Wild Platz was organised by four artists’ associations,

(Jesters) and Kings and Jester Kings, but all as outsiders, half-uprooted

Above left and right:

apparitions of a world that is always spiritual but always a bit weary.

Invitation to a costume ball.

What is even stranger is that the many busts and faces that one

the “Wurfel (the Dice)”, the “Frauenkunstverband” (Group of Women

discovers while walking around … all are – in an indefinable way –

Artists), the “Freien deutschen Künstlerschaft” (Free German Community of

different yet similar … And one is astonished – like Dorian Gray – to

Artists) and the “Hundert Malern” (Hundred Painters). It gives an

discover that they in fact have the features of their creator, which,

interesting picture of variety and the vitality of German craftwork ...

unintentionally, always reappear in his creations.

“Roland Paris is an artist who creates noteworthy sculptures, woodcuts,

One … cannot help but recognise the resemblance, less graphic

and etchings; he is especially taken with Carnival themes. Among his very

(Beardsley, Rops, Lautrec, Daumier) than literary, and also some

individualistic, somewhat grotesque and bizarre works, one notes Pierrots,

uncomfortable similarities and influences, but … also remarkable …

Colombines and Bajazzo models ...”16

affinities… Several well-known names come to mind: Edgar A. Poe,

Somewhat surprisingly, in 1924 the tiny workshop apartment in the

E.T.A. Hoffmann, Oscar Wilde; there is a bit of Liliencron, a hint of

Xantener Strasse was used as an exhibition space. One imagines Roland

Wedekind. One is doubly charmed to see a very effective black and

and Lisl’s excitement as they opened their home to art lovers and critics. A

white self-portrait … Among the sculptures, the coloured “Cynic” is

very complimentary account was given by a reporter from the newspaper

intriguing; a patinated faun’s head in “Waldgeflüster” (woodland

Der Berliner Westen on Friday, 28 November, 1924:

whispers) is very interesting; a nobly delineated “weary Pierrot” with a lowered lantern. The Dachshund and a foolish young man with a huge

Roland-Paris-Exhibition

tie would make lovely Christmas gifts, sparkling with humour. The fairy

The well-known sculptor, painter and graphic artist Roland Paris is

tale kings, childlike and primitive, are humorous in a quieter way… A

giving an atelier exhibition (W. 15, Xantener Strasse 11) until December

painted wooden Jester’s head is graphically effective to an astonishing

5 (2 to 7 o’clock) including sculptures, graphic works and a few

degree. Two portraits of the artist’s wife are very charming … the

paintings. The atelier room, charming and full of atmosphere, is filled

general impression of the picture of the deranged King Tabor, a

with a great number of old and new works, very different in terms of

dramatic figure. The graphic work is grotesque, doodling, full of bizarre

technique and style (incidentally, all for sale), that all seem to be related

ideas and the pleasure of movement, balanced in technique… The

in a strangely compelling and intimate way. Their similarity lies in the

most serious of which is a series of lithographies called Gespenster.

nearly universal and recurrent themes, all gracefully moving, some

Two other series of woodcuts, Hollenreigen and Leichtes Blut, published

grotesque, coupled with a pronounced one-sidedness in the motifs and

by the artist himself, are out of print. Among the single works on paper,

the restriction to a realm of life that is difficult to grasp, whose

one stands out in particular “the very noble profile of a Pierrot, which

representatives are always Pierrot, Columbine and Mephisto, Fools 38

17

seems to emerge against a dark background.”

King Tabor (manuscript), a play by Richard Paris (Roland Paris’ father).

Cover design by Roland Paris.

39

re-size pic Given the critical recognition he had received and a few early commercial successes, Roland seemed well on the way to a flourishing career. Along with his figurines, woodcuts and paintings, he did many other kinds of artwork – advertising jobs, newspaper cartoons, and posters. During his training he had learned to respect all kinds of decorative art as enhancing people’s lives, and he took his lamps, cane heads, and other “useful” products seriously, though a portion of his work was probably done for purely financial reasons. He was constantly sketching or drawing – imagining, designing, or working on some project or other. This pure joy in the creative process shines through in all of Roland Paris’s work.

During the 1920s Roland regularly attended the Leipzig Trade Fair (Leipziger Kunstgewerbemesse), which was frequented by many artists or their representatives, and where much business was done. He seems to have attracted attention from his earliest appearances at the fair. In 1924, important Leipzig publisher Julius Zeitler, in an article in the magazine Kunst und Kunstgewerbe, stated: “The fair offers such a powerful concentration of contemporary German decorative art that no one who has anything to do with the decorative arts can afford to miss it.”17 Another article in the same magazine, by Gustav Lehmann (a member of the Deutscher Werkbund, or German Association of Craftsmen), is

fair at least every summer. On July 20, 1923, Roland sent a postcard to his

Above left:

illustrated with Roland Paris sculptures, as examples of the best in

sister Hertha in Weimar, saying that after his visit to Leipzig the next day,

Kunst und Kunstgewerbe magazine

contemporary decorative art.18

he and Lisl would come to Weimar for a family visit.

The most promising sign for Roland’s future career came in a third article in the magazine, written by a Dr. Volker: “Among the artists who

Six years later, on 2 August, 1929, he wrote to his father to arrange a meeting in Leipzig: “Dear Papa!

uniqueness… his creative powers are in full bloom; he is very prolific. His

Mama tells me that you are in Leipzig at the moment. That is

small figures are stylised – the unnecessary is omitted, and the essential

wonderful, and you will surely still be there when we arrive in

is emphasised… his work is immediately recognisable...

Leipzig. The fair begins on August 25, and we will be there as of the

“Columbine is represented as a ballet dancer, as if she suddenly stood still in the middle of a pirouette... Her upper body leans slightly forward; her ballet skirt is rippled, as if by the wind…”

Volker remarks that many of Roland Paris’s female figures share the same features: “…a pointed chin and a perfectly lovely upturned nose”.

Of the serenading Pierrot, he comments: “…he feels his love songs in every inch of his body”.

19

There were two annual fairs in Leipzig, one in early spring and one in late summer. Family correspondence indicates that Roland attended the 40

Professor Zeitler’s favourable review of edition of Kunst und Kunstgewerbe

appearances Roland Paris has aroused interest due to his great

his sculptures, produced and sold by the art foundry Ernst Kraas in Berlin…

Above right: Roland Paris’s work in the March 1924

devote themselves primarily to small sculptures, from his first

“Here we present a selection of a few figures from the large selection of

cover, 1924.

magazine.

23rd, because we have to set up the stand. We would be grateful if you could inquire about a room for us; we need one room with 2 beds, but a room with 1 bed would also be alright, as long as the bed is not too narrow. But I would like to know the price beforehand.

We are knee-deep in work and I will be happy when I have done enough that I can begin packing the samples.

When the pieces are in Leipzig, you will be able to come and see my newest creations for yourself. … We are looking forward to seeing you soon in Leipzig. In the meantime, receive our warmest greetings.

Your Roland and Lisl”19 41

re-size pic art. On the other side of the spectrum, the notorious “Entartete Kunst” (Degenerate Art) exhibitions displayed works by artists the Nazis rejected.

According to Nazi theory, art works were supposed to convey the values of “racial purity” and the love of the homeland and the “native soil” (Heimat, Blut und Boden – Homeland, blood and soil – as the infamous slogans put it). Only strong, perfect bodies could be shown, such as those of the young German men bound for military service or the young women whose duty it was to give birth to future soldiers. “Realism” was the only accepted style. Artists were not supposed to create forms or use colours that did not appear in nature.

Although Roland Paris was a member of the Reichskulturkammer, and was therefore technically allowed to work, his figures clearly do not glorify the Nazi ideal. His figures are neither “realistic” nor “heroic”; he had too much sympathy for the downtrodden, and too much scepticism concerning the powerful, to produce such sculptures. Roland Paris is anything but a hero worshipper.

Further examples of his championing of the underdog can be found in the “Hoppel” character he created for the popular newspaper Die Grüne Post in the summer of 1932 Hoppel, an amiable, pointy-headed little man with a prominent posterior, fancies himself a great athlete but is in reality a hopeless bungler whose efforts always end in disaster. The title of one of the cartoons is “Hoppel, the Challenged Olympic Champion”.

At the time that these cartoons were published Germany was preparing for the 1936 Olympic Games, which Hitler considered an important propaganda opportunity. The physical strength and beauty of the German Roland Paris standing between his wife ‘Lisl’ on the right of the photograph and his sister Hertha on the left. On the grass his younger brother Eberhard, his brother-in-law Wilhelm Facklam

Elisabeth Paris was very supportive of her husband’s work. As shown above, she accompanied him to the Leipzig fair and helped to unpack

possible occasion. While Roland Paris’s cartoons must have been

and set up the stand. In later years, when the Nazi stranglehold made it

appreciated – the paper published a series of at least three of them – it is

difficult for Roland to make a living, she took a job to support them both.

doubtful that any Nazis were among their fans.

While family sources and friends all agree that Roland Paris was not a

(married to Hertha) and their baby daughter Helga.

Roland Paris and the Third Reich

Nazi sympathiser (and the available evidence also strongly suggests this),

Like all artists during the Nazi period, Roland Paris was required to

one question has not been completely elucidated. Paris’s sculpture

become a member of the Reichskulturkammer, the Third Reich’s

“Glider”, showing an elegantly streamlined airplane flying above clouds

“Chamber of Culture”. Created in September 1933, the

suggested by curving lines, was awarded the Flight Honour Prize (Flieger-

Reichskulturkammer was headed by Joseph Goebbels, the Minister for

Ehrenpreis) in 1933 (see pp.196-7). In contemporary newspaper

Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. No artist could practice his craft

clippings, Roland Paris’s name is rarely associated with the piece while

without being a member; there were subdivisions for writers, artists,

that of the Kraas foundry is often mentioned. This suggests that the

musicians, the theatre, the radio and the press.

foundry may have entered the piece in the competition, and that Roland

Every year exhibitions presented works by officially approved artists in order to educate the public as to the nature of veritable National Socialist 42

athletes, as well as their skill and prowess, were showcased on every

may have requested anonymity so that his name would not be associated with the Third Reich. This would have been against his own interests, for

Glider.

43

he could easily have taken advantage of winning a prize for a sculpture glorifying the Reich’s airplanes.

A 1939 article reviewing an exhibition in Schwerin does mention Roland’s name, but this may simply have been because his brother-in-law Wilhelm Facklam lived in that city. Facklam, who was a party member, may well have provided the information to the journalist. The article states: “[Paris] has recently been in the limelight in Germany due to his winning the Flight Honour Prize (Flieger-Ehrenpreis), which he was recently awarded by Reichsminister Göring for the beauty of form and the individualistic artistic treatment; it has been suggested that it be given as a prize for the promotion of aerial sports”.21 Roland earned very little between 1933, the year Hitler came to power, and 1943, when he was forced again to serve as a soldier. The couple probably got by on what Lisl earned as an employee of an auction house in the Fehrbelliner Platz near their home.22 In a note to the Reichskammer der bildenden Künste (Reich Chamber of the Fine Arts) dated 19 March, 1937, he gives his income in 1936 as being 1978 Reichsmarks, with an additional private income of RM 325. He further states that the couple is surviving solely on his wife’s income.23 Lisl told her friends in the Xantener Strasse building that she and Roland were harassed by the Nazis because they were not party members. There was a Nazi Party office across the street from 11 Xantener Strasse, and Lisl was regularly summoned there, for sermons, threats, and indoctrination. Afterwards, she wryly confided to her friends she had again been made “completely ready”. To the end of her life she believed, rightly or wrongly, that Roland being recalled for military duty in 1943 was a punitive measure.

During the war Lisl served as an air-raid warden and as long as he

“Hoppel”, the challenged Olympic

was in Berlin, Roland helped her. Their attic apartment afforded them a

champion. The cartoon was published

good view of the roof. The duties consisted in making sure all lights were

in Die Grüne Post in 1932, based on

out in the neighbourhood when air raids were imminent, and dousing

the bungling character created by

incendiary bombs with sandbags whenever possible. Elisabeth took the

Roland Paris.

job seriously and performed it diligently and energetically. During bomb alerts Roland never went down to the air-raid shelter, though his wife did.

She often made soup on these occasions and served it to everyone after the air raid was over.

Lisl also distributed food ration cards to all the residents of the Xantener Strasse. The Mäder girls, neighbours if the Parises, recalled that one day a bomb exploded halfway between the Xantener Strasse and the Kurfürstendamm, very close to the house. It completely destroyed several buildings. The earth shook from the impact, and everyone in the shelter 44

45

thought they would be buried under the rubble. After the all-clear signal, Elisabeth disappeared, returning a few minutes later with a huge pot of pea soup. She always carried a flask of brandy with her during the air raids, which she willingly shared.

Art and Literature In December 1938 Roland Paris applied for membership to the Reichsschriftstumskammer (the writers’ Culture Chamber), a necessary step in order to publish a new book he had written. He stated: “As a painter and sculptor I already belong to the Reichskammer Logo for an unknown Leipzig publisher, Marion Verlag. Roland Paris makes a play on the word Marion[ette]. showing familiar characters as puppets being manipulated by external forces.

der bildenden Künste (Reich Chamber of the Fine Arts), under the numbers M 13420 and B 2419.

“In the field of literature, I have written my first book, which will be published this coming year, under the title Komische Leute von gestern und vorgestern [Funny People from Yesterday and the Day

re-size pic

Before Yesterday] by the Hanns Horst Kreisel Publishing House in Leipzig.”

In his 1939 Reichsschriftstumskammer (Reich Chamber of Literature) application form, in answer to the question “Are you a member of the Nazi Party?” he answered “No”. To another question, “Which branch of the NSDAP do you belong to, and since when?”, Roland answered “Antiaircraft defense” (Luftschutz)”. This reference to his and Lisl’s voluntary activities as civil air raid wardens is actually quite ridiculous, since it could in no way be compared to actual Nazi Party membership.

Komische Leute is Roland Paris’s only published book, but he wrote, Komische Leute (Funny People),

or at least began, several others. Among the books he left behind, in

published 1939.

various stages of completion, are Komische Wahrheiten (Funny Truths; this may simply be an alternate title for “Komische Leute”); Skurrile Gestalten (Comic Characters); Moortüpfels lyrischn Gedichte (Moortüpfel’s Lyric Poems; this is a collection of lyric poems by Roland with a coloured sketch of a Pinocchio-like character named Moortüpfel); as well as many poems.

One of the most charming books is a children’s tale entitled Der Trollpilz, Zwölf Bilder mit Text nach einer alten Chronik aus dem Reichs der Trolls (The Mushroom Troll – Twelve Pictures with Text, after an old

Opposite: Preliminary drawings of Moortüpfel, a character created by Roland Paris to illustrate a series of his

Chronicle from Troll-Land). It is about a curious troll who leaves Troll-Land, though it is strictly forbidden, to explore the world above. He has many

Lyric poems; they were never

misadventures until the king of the trolls, informed of his predicament by a

published.

little mouse, brings him back to Troll-Land where he happily lives for the

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47

Troll-Land. Watercolour illustrations for the story. Exhibited in 1933 at the Marienpalais Art Exhibition in Schwerin.

Troll Bronze on marble base Height: 14cm. (5½ in.)

(Private Collection)

rest of his life. He forgets his hat (in the shape of a mushroom), though, and it stays up there forever to show that a troll once explored the world above. These pictures were exhibited at the Marienpalais Art Exhibition in Schwerin in 1933.

It is hardly surprising that Roland was interested in literature. As a child growing up in his parents’ home, and later as a student, he learned to consider the various art forms as facets of a whole; he saw no essential difference between the fine arts, literature, the decorative arts, music, and the theatre. This is why the letterhead stationery printed during his early 48

49

years in Berlin says: Roland Paris Verlag, Graphik und Kunst, Literatur

Roland seems to have been especially proud of this book. Komische

(Roland Paris Publishing House, Graphic Art and Fine Arts, Literature).

Leute, published in 1939, is a collection of poems about various people –

Roland’s love of literature is also evident in a series of exhibitions in

the Father, the Minister, the Poet, the Painter, the Musician, the

which he participated: one of these, held in commemoration of the “Day of

Philosopher, the Inventor, and many other characters. Roland wrote short,

Books”, was held in the bookshop of a certain Mr. Thelemann in Weimar’s

humorous poems about these characters and illustrated them with light-

Schillerstrasse. It featured works by Paris that were inspired by literary

hearted, satirical caricatures.

themes. A brief newspaper article – unfortunately undated – describes the

It is surprising that such a book passed the censorship procedure in

exhibition “…the humorous and characteristic bronzes The Librarian, The

1938, for while it contains no overt criticism of the Third Reich and its

Scholar (coloured bronze with ivory), Don Quixote, the artist’s well-known

administration, the caricatures of people in power – kings, ministers and

sculpture Mephisto (wood) and The Brooder, are being displayed for the

authorities – show them in an unflattering light. It is clear the artist/author

first time in Weimar; this is a must-see for every lover of art and books.”

24

In 1934 Roland’s work was featured in a small exhibition organised by theatre manager Egon Schmid, called “The Theme of the Theatre”. The newspaper reporter remarks that the works by Paris “make use of the dramatic and theatrical experience” that the artist had gained in his

puts no trust in authority and that he is unlikely to unquestioningly respect any political leader. These qualities were not those the Nazis sought to encourage.

Even the title is ambiguous. The first page contains the full title and

The title page for Roland Paris’ book, Komische Leute (Funny People).

subtitle:

theatrical family.25 A brochure accompanying Roland’s 1939 book of

Funny People

poems and drawings, Komische Leute, echoes this:

From yesterday and the day before yesterday, Philosophy and Destroyed Illusions,

“Roland Paris comes from a family of artists; he is a painter and sculptor and as such is well-known even beyond Germany’s borders,

Yet on the title page, which features a drawing of a scribe in court

through his many small bronze and ivory sculptures. The artist has

dress and powdered wig (suggesting the book concerns long-gone

again taken up his pen, applying the talent for characterisation,

people and events) the title is truncated. Written on a rolled-up piece of

apparent in his sculptures, to the written word. His book Komische

parchment are the words: “Komische Leute von Gestern und…”. Every

Leute shows that an artist may allow himself to be many-sided, as long

German speaker, upon hearing this phrase, will be tempted to complete

as he remains true to his art.

the rhyme with the word “Heute”, meaning “Funny People from Yesterday

“The “Funny People” written about and sketched by Roland Paris are not just comic, they are drawn from his life experiences and are

and … Today”.

The powdered wigs and old-fashioned clothes are clearly a

delineated with the sparkling humour derived from his knowledge of

camouflage that allows the author to depict modern-day figures in a

human nature; they give the book its true worth. The most striking

somewhat critical way. While it would be an exaggeration to call Komische

points, however, are those that make us laugh and give the book its

Leute social or political criticism, it certainly did not flatter the all-powerful

distinctive humour.

Nazis.

“There have always been funny people, and there always will be.

They are all reunited in this book—the ones people talk about, and

The next page contains a comic disclaimer. A court jester saunters away from the reader, leaving behind him an overturned ink bottle.

the prominent personalities. The poet has not merely described

The accompanying verse says:

them in satirical verses and funny words. As an artist, he has also

“Dear friend, if you get hold of this book, try to read through it.

captured their appearance in caricatures.

But if you don’t like it and wonder who wrote it,

“Roland Paris thus gives us a double pleasure: both in pictures and in words. laughing, for there is no helping a person who does not laugh when reading this book – he takes no pleasure in joy.”

It wasn’t me!”

Roland’s career had slowed almost to a halt during the 1930’s; by the

“And now, dear seeker of literary fun: open the book and start

50

Sense and Nonsense

26

early 1940s it had ended. In 1942 he dissolved the Roland Paris Verlag, the publishing house in the Xantener Strasse. Several months later he was drafted into the German army.

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Roland Parisʼs Themes

jester figures. Paris often calls these characters “Narren”(“fools”). These

Roland Paris’s work is unmistakeable; his style and manner are unique. He

hats often sported by Mephistopheles and other devilish characters, are

returns again and again to a number of favourite themes, many of which

unusual in that they appear almost animated, as if they had a life of their

have roots in his childhood. Several contemporary commentators, as well

own.

as Roland Paris himself, have pointed out the importance of the theatre in

In the past, most European courts employed entertainers, including

his artistic imagination. One often has the impression that his figures are

professional “fools” or jesters. The jester was a privileged figure at court,

players on a stage he saw in his mind’s eye. Equally noteworthy is the

indulged and pampered by the sovereign. A fool could deliver bad news

town where he grew up – Weimar, the seat of German classical literature.

to the King when no one else dared. The fool is always a detached observer, an outsider who perceives others’ weaknesses and follies and

MEPHISTOPHELES

makes fun of them. Fools and jesters are both cynics and philosophers.

One of the most important early influences was the writer Johann Wolfgang

Aloof but worldly wise, clear-sighted yet compassionate, they observe but

J.Wolfgang von Goethe, oil painting by

von Goethe. Goethe’s Faust, a classic work known the world over, must

do not judge. And they never miss the chance to make a good joke.

H.C.Kolbe. 1826

have made a strong impression on Roland as a child. Mephistopheles, the devil who tempts Faust, is omnipresent in Paris’s work.

He was fascinated by the character’s great strength and power, as well as his ambivalence. In Goethe’s Faust, Mephistopheles defines himself as: “Part of that Power, not understood, Which always wills Evil, and always does Good.”

When Faust asks the meaning of this statement, the devil elaborates: “I am the Spirit that Denies!

And justly so: for all things, from the Void Called forth, deserve to be destroyed…”27 Both terrifying and seductive, Mephistopheles is a familiar figure on Roland’s artistic stage. He appears in many forms: as a carved wooden head with piercing eyes; as an ominous shadow appearing behind an innocent girl; and in the sardonic expression of a sculpted figure.

JESTER Another essential character is the jester. This character, which has many names – fool, joker, comic, buffoon – is central to Roland Paris’s aesthetic. He appears often in German literature and folklore. Goethe’s Faust begins with a prologue in which three people – a theatre director, a poet, and a buffoon – argue about the best way to please an audience. (Paris, incidentally, depicted all three in his Komische Leute). One of the best-known buffoons in German folklore is Till Eulenspiegel, a trickster figure who first appeared during the Middle Ages. Well-known to all German schoolchildren, he was a merry mischief-maker who wore a fool’s hat with horns ending in bells. He is often depicted holding a mirror (Spiegel) – to show us our shortcomings – and a sceptre, symbolising the power he wields.

While Till Eulenspiegel does not appear in any known Roland Paris piece, his double-pointed hats are often seen on the heads of Paris’s 52

53

The jester, or fool, is a crucial element in Carnival celebrations; a Till Eulenspiegel figure often took part in the celebrations, gleefully mocking politicians and those in power. The Shrovetide Carnival is also called “Fasching” in some parts of Germany, including Weimar. Also known as “the fifth season” or the “Fool’s season” (Närrische Saison), the Carnival traditionally begins at 11:11 a.m. on the 11th of November. The merrymaking includes costumed celebrations and community events such as plays and other gatherings, full of good humour, joking, and satire. The Paris family enjoyed Carnival celebrations. A photograph shows members of the family and friends at one such party in the early 20th century.

Roland took part in the creation of a student play written to be performed at the 1914 Fasching celebrations in Weimar. It is a group Carnival time (Fasching) in Weimar.

A happy group of revellers in costume, including Roland’s sister Hertha (second from the right) and his brother Eberhard (small child in the centre).

effort, full of puns and silly humour. The illustrations were provided by several of the city’s budding artists, including Roland Paris.

The play recounts the wedding of Prince Carnival with Weimar’s Muse.

Among the characters are Weimar’s famous men: Liszt, Goethe, Schiller,

Rupprecht (Roland Paris’ brother) in costume Cover of the programme for a student play for the carnival celebrations in Weimar, 1914. Illustrations by several artists including Roland Paris.

Lucas Cranach and Goethe’s platonic love, Frau von Stein. Containing many insider jokes, the play would have been hugely appreciated by the town’s inhabitants, who like Roland, were familiar with the town’s history and with its illustrious former inhabitants. It must have been fun to perform in and fun to watch.

In a wry touch characteristic of Roland Paris, one of his illustrations bears the subtitle: “Weimar’s Muse serves the applied arts by tightening the artists’ belts”. Another shows a bohemian-looking poet trampling papers in an overflowing wastepaper bin. The caption reads: “Ever since Weimar has had such a great influx of poets, the wastepaper bin industry has flourished”.

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FLYING DUTCHMAN Other stories and legends, less specific to Weimar, but still deeply rooted in the German psyche, also struck a chord in Roland Paris’s imagination. The Flying Dutchman is one of these; Paris’s depiction of the phantom ship is striking (see p.236).

DON QUIXOTE Don Quixote, the fictional character created by the 17th-century Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, was a character that fascinated Roland. Don Quixote, a fervent reader of novels, sets out to singlehandedly revive Medieval chivalry, and in the process makes a fool of himself. Something about Don Quixote’s unshakeable dignity, even as he makes himself an object of ridicule, resonated with Roland Paris, who depicted him often: in a painting, in many sketches

“We are all creatures of divine Nature.

Illustrations by Roland Paris for a

and in several sculptures.

…Full of passion, bitterness, malice, grief and sorrow – or

programme for a student ‘carnival’ play,

children of the Sun – such are we humans.

Weimar, 1914.

In man lives the artist and in the artist lives the Daemon, and it is

THE DEMON OF CREATION In 1926 The Book Club magazine (Die Buchgemeinde) featured pictures of four of

56

burrows into him until his thoughts take shape.

And in that shape he is reflected.

Librarian, a standing Mephisto, and a porcelain

The artist creates, and no matter which tool he uses, whether it

fountain depicting a maiden and the Frog

be the Poet’s pen, the Painter’s brush, or the Sculptor’s chisel: “It is

Prince. Roland Paris himself contributed an

the Spirit that builds the Body”. …Art must be gripping, it must be the expression of what moves

Demon of Creation). It is nothing less than a

the artist, it must live, in order to captivate the viewer, whether with

manifesto of Paris’s beliefs about the creative

or without contradiction; it is all the same, for our souls incline in

process and the artist’s place in society, it

different directions.

shows how seriously the artist took his work. It

used to illustrate the carnival play programme (see opposite).

It is he who seizes the soul of the artist, overpowers him, and

Roland’s sculptures – the Fool’s mask, the

article entitled Der Dämon des Schaffens (The

Letterhead design for Roland Paris’ stationery. It is identical to the image

he who forces the artist to create.

Only he who has stood on the edge of the abyss can

expresses an almost religious view of the

comprehend the terror of the unfathomable depths; only he who

meaning and importance of artistic creation,

bears joy in his heart can laugh with those who laugh; only he can

while also shedding light on how Paris himself

be moved by tears who has felt his own tears flow.

lived with his creative drive.

It states:

This is understanding.

Whoever tries to grasp art with the intellect alone, tearing it to 57

pieces with theories, will forever remain a stranger to its essence.

And it is this inner essence that is important. Art is not technique, nor is it that which may be analysed in a purely material manner – it is life, all-encompassing life, that raises us to the Heights and hurls us down into the Depths, that gives us hope and allows us to overcome adversity, that teaches us to think and then smashes our thoughts into nothingness – all-encompassing life, from which the Daemon snatches us and forces us to create.

To create is to work, to work on oneself and on others. First, on one’s own self, again and again; for it is that which causes us to ponder on things, whether or not they are within our mind’s reach. It is that which creeps up on us and oppresses us when we are in a sombre mood; it is that which places a certain book in our hand, which teaches us to think, which releases the Rogue in us and allows him to triumph over pure Reason. It is the subconscious, the second self.

The artist creates by drawing on his subconscious; through his artistic ability he shapes his work into a second self. The ego is the Will that corrects and gives shape to the creation.

This is the essence of Art, as it is conveyed to others, and as the beholder is drawn into it, he also experiences the artist’s essence.

100million Mark banknote, front and

The beholder must experience the creative process as the artist has,

(blank) reverse (1923). Printing presses

must be moved and shaken and be made to think and feel. Only

were working so fast, that there was no

then is Art’s purpose fulfilled.”

time to print the reverse. In January 1921 1 dollar was worth 7 Marks; by October 1923 it was worth 6.6 billion

The image of the starving artist that Roland drew for the Fasching play

Kraas Foundry

Three Roland Paris moulds sold at

Roland Paris worked extensively with the Kraas foundry in Berlin. The

auction in Berlin as part of the

company was founded in 1883 by Ernst Kraas, who specialised in bronze art

Marks. Prices changed every fifteen

was also used on letterhead paper that he probably designed while still

works. It became quite successful, producing the works of popular artists,

minutes.

living in Weimar. The dishevelled, unshaven artist has holes in the elbows

many of whom were professors in renowned art schools. The foundry

of his shirt, yet somehow is still elegant. He stands contemplating a small

distinguished itself by working closely with artists; they designed, created,

nude female figure who has wrapped herself around his ankle and grasps

manufactured and finished over 1,000 prototype models of small sculptures.

his belt firmly in one hand. Beautiful, laughing, she is clearly his muse –

These decorative sculptures, which depicted dancers and labourers, children,

his palette lies at her feet.

animals and plants, personalities of the day, sports awards and trophies, were

This vision of the artist’s life is at once cynical and idealistic, for Roland

homes. The Kraas foundry had offices in Leipzig, Hamburg and Pforzheim.

endowed them with so much spirit that they appeared to be alive. His

The latter bureau dealt in exports, and the Kraas catalogue was issued in four

sculpted wood faces, in particular, are especially animated, to the point that

languages: German, English, French and Spanish.

However, the years of hyperinflation (June 1921-January 1924) nearly

following him. Roland once told his niece Helga that he was sometimes

forced the firm to close. In the 1920s Ernst’s sons Paul and Walter joined

frightened by them himself. Helga recalled this in an interview, quoting a line

the foundry, along with their cousin Dietrich Hempel. With the arrival of

from a poem by Goethe: “The spirits that I have summoned, I will never

Ernst-Detlef Kraas, the third generation of the Kraas family began to work 28

become free of them” (Die ich rief, die Geister, werd’ ich nun nicht los.”)

58

2010.

greatly appreciated by the public, who purchased them to decorate their

Paris combined both extremes. He was inhabited by his creations and

they seem to have a life of their own. The spectator feels their eyes are

liquidation of the Kraas foundry in

in the firm.

59

“Everyone has his own field of work The only thing we don’t have is money.

And the person to blame for that is Dieterich For he guards the cash register fiercely.”

(Ein jeder hat sein Arbeitsfeld Blos was wir haben, ist kein Geld.

Und schuld daran ist Dieterich Denn der bewacht als Wüterich Die Kasse.”)

The “Dieterich” in the poem no doubt refers to Dietrich Hempel, the Kraas cousin who was employed at the foundry.

The foundry finally closed its doors after nearly 130 years. The moulds of the various artists whose sculptures had been produced by the firm were

Entrance to the former Kraas Foundry in Berlin on Schlesische Strasse; as it

sold at auction in Berlin in 2010. Today – a sign of the times, perhaps – the

stands today. No longer a foundry, but a

former Kraas factory is occupied by a company that deals in digital imagery.

digital imagery related venture.

Above: Frontispiece of catalogue showing bronze smelting at the Kraas foundry, Above, right:

Roland Paris had a warm, almost filial, relationship with his foundry.

Kraas catalogue, published in German,

Always ready with a poem, he wrote one for the 80th birthday of the firm’s

French, English and Spanish

creator, whom he calls “Vater Kraas” (Father Kraas). An early draft of this

Above, middle:

affectionate poem, hastily scribbled on a piece of scrap paper and illustrated

Logo designed by Walther Klemm

with rough pencil sketches, was probably meant to be read aloud at a party

Above, bottom: Kraas foundry seal 60

for the venerable head of the firm. Paris clearly felt at home here; the verses might have been written for a happy family gathering: 61

Swinemünde

Opposite:

In 1943, at the age of 49, Roland Paris was called back to active military

Kraas bronze models for dogs and

service. Under normal circumstances he would have been considered too old

birds.

to fight, but the German defeat at Stalingrad in the spring of 1943 had signalled the inevitable Allied victory, setting off a wave of panic in the upper echelons of army command. On 18 February, 1943, only two weeks after the German surrender at Stalingrad, Joseph Goebbels proclaimed “Total War” in the Sportpalast in Berlin’s Potsdamer Strasse. Men were mobilised who ordinarily would not have had to serve, for the physical classification standards were drastically lowered, making men up to 60 years old eligible for military service.

In October 1944 the notorious “Volkssturm” (national militia; lit. “people’s storm”) led to the conscription of all men between the ages of 16 and 60.

So it was that in August 1943, Roland Paris shipped out for the second time in his life. In the words of his wife Lisl, he was “too old to be a soldier and too young to die”.

While he had served in the German Army and Air Force during the First World War, during WWII Roland was assigned to the Navy. He was sent to ´Swinemünde, a seaport on the Baltic Sea that had been a popular resort town ´ ´ in the 19th century. Today, the town is called Swinoujscie and lies within the Polish borders, but during World War II it was an important German naval base, with several armoured ships anchored in its harbour.

Roland was given various duties, at first being assigned to the 4th company, 5th training division, for “Kriegsschiffneubauten” (warships in need of repair), then working in a centre for the reception of goods (“Auffanglager Nest”), and finally serving on the Aufbaukommando (construction squad) of the Seeberufsfachschule Nest. The “Seeberufsfachschulen” were the equivalent of naval cadet training schools for young petty officer aspirants (15-17 years old), and while Roland’s exact position at the school is not

Unidentified admirer of bird sculpture.

known, given his age, it seems likely that he was a teacher or a member of the staff.

He was promoted twice: on 6, August 1943 he was made “Marineartilleriegefreiter d. L.” (Private First Class, Marine Artillery) and on September 1, 1944 “Marineartilleriehauptgefreiter d. L.” (Lance Corporal, Marine Artillery).

By early 1945, the tide had clearly turned.

Throughout the spring of 1945 the Germans suffered defeat after defeat. On 30 April, fearing capture, Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker as the Battle of Berlin raged furiously above.

The Russians advanced from the east. They 62

63

occupied Swinemünde on 5 May. On 7 May the Germans surrendered

The second puzzle of Roland’s death is that while Swinemünde had been

unconditionally, with the cease-fire taking effect on 8 May. Roland Paris

heavily bombed by the US Air Force on 12 March, resulting in the deaths of

died on 5 May, 1945, just three days before the war’s end.

approximately 23,000 people, there was no bombing attack on 4 May.

Due to the collapse of the German military and the recent horrific bombing of Swinemünde, when the Allies took on the task of administering the conquered territories, they discovered a totally chaotic situation.

This may be why Elisabeth Paris seems not to have been immediately

Perhaps Roland was hurt during the March attack but died of his wounds in May; today it is impossible to be certain, given the lack of information.

Elisabeth Paris was saddened and angered by her husband’s death.

She maintained that he was too old to have been drafted a second time,

informed of her husband’s death by the authorities. One of Roland’s fellow

and confided to friends that if he had had a proper steel helmet he would

soldiers had apparently already broken the news to her in person, but the

not have been killed. She also deplored the fact that Roland sold very little

first official notice came in a letter dated 29 May, 1946 – more than a year

after the Nazi rise to power. The artistic career that had been on the verge

after Roland Paris’s passing!

of truly taking off in the 1920s had been crushed by the Third Reich, and

It says:

the artist himself destroyed.

“Concerns: M.A.Hpt. Gfr. Roland Paris, Aufbaukommando Seeberufsfachschule Nest.

Roland Parisʼs Legacy Roland Paris was an astonishingly prolific artist who worked in a wide

Dear Mrs. Paris,

range of media – porcelain, bronze, wood, oil painting – and created

The Naval Document Centre has taken charge of the still existing

woodcuts, lithographs, and sketches, all in a unique and immediately

personal effects of the former members of the Kriegsmarine.

recognisable style. His manner is so distinctive that his name is now used

Their work has revealed that, due to war events, you have

as an adjective; at art fairs one often hears the phrase “so very … Roland

probably not been informed by the military unit about the

Paris”. Over the course of a career spanning just three decades, he

whereabouts of your husband, the M.A. Hpt.Gfr. Roland Paris.

worked tirelessly, producing an impressive volume of work that is now

We regret to have to inform you that according to a report that we hold, made by M.A. Oberfeldwebel Reimer on the 4th of May 1945,

and private collections. They occasionally appear on the art market, to the

your husband, born on 18 March, 1894, in Vienna, was killed during

great delight of connoisseurs and collectors.

an airstrike in Swinemünde in the Lützow Camp. He was buried in Elisabeth Paris, 1981.

disseminated throughout the world. His pieces may be found in museums

the main entryway of the Camp.

Seventy years after his death, his creations appear as fresh today as when they were first produced. They speak to contemporary viewers, who

Autographed photograph of

We enclose a photo that was found in his military passbook.

are struck by their astonishing modernity and refreshing lack of

Roland Paris, undated.

With the most sincere sympathy” 29

sentimentality. His point of view is appealing, particularly his empathy with the downtrodden, his indulgence toward human weakness, his dislike of

It is difficult to decipher the circumstances of Roland’s death. The mention of Camp Lützow (Lager Lützow) is puzzling. It is clearly not a

Most engaging, though, are his ever-present sense of humor and his

reference to the German armoured cruiser “Lützow”, which was moored in

tendency to view life with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Swinemünde harbour. It appears that “Camp Lützow” (named after

64

any form of pretention, and his critical view of “conventional wisdom”.

Roland Paris identified with the jester figure, and he possessed many

Captain Werner Lützow of the Schnellbootflotille, killed in October 1943)

of the same qualities: keen observational skills, a talent for caricature, and

must refer to an inland camp where crews were quartered and where the

a resolutely light-hearted approach to life. These abilities set the artist

E-boat training squadron based in Swinemünde lodged.24

apart from others and gave him a lofty perspective on life.

It will probably never be known whether Roland was actually quartered

Roland Paris’s jesters are lucid beings who see though every type of

in Camp Lützow or simply happened to be there in the performance of his

pompousness and pretention. Though generally down at the heel, they

duties; however thanks to the report made by his fellow soldier, we know

are rich in terms of perception and understanding. The world may see

that he died there and was buried near the main entrance to Camp

them as paupers, but their perspective is as lofty as if they were royalty.

Lützow.

They are, indeed, as regal as kings – Jester Kings.

65

The Plates

POSTCARDS

STUDIES FOR WORKS IN PLASTER, WOOD, BRONZE AND IVORY

Postcards created in Weimar before WWI

70

71

INTELLECT AND ROGUE Plaster (Private collection)

INTELLECT AND ROGUE (mounted as bookends)

LIESL (ELISABETH PARIS) Bronze on marble base Height: 41cm. (16¼in.)

(Private collection)

LIESL (STUDY) (ELISABETH PARIS) Plaster Height: 29cm. (11½in.)

(Private collection) 72

73

PAGE Plaster Height: 26cm. (101â „4in.)

(Private Collection)

74

75

EAGLE AWARD “To our Tradesmen” Bronze on marble base Height: 39.5cm. (15½in.)

(Private Collection)

Design for Eagle Award

76

77

WORKS IN WOOD

78

BARBER

CARPENTER

BUTCHER

BAKER

COMRADES 1

COMRADES 2

TAILOR

HUNTER NOTES 79

PORCELAIN

Schwarzburger Werkstätten For his porcelain creations, Roland Paris worked with the Schwarzburg Workshops (Schwarzburger Werkstätten), which produced some of his Pierrots and Columbines figures. The Schwarzburger Werkstätten workshop was founded in 1909 in Unterweissbach, a remote village in Thuringia, Germany by Max Pfeiffer as an eclectic enterprise that would gather renowned and contemporary artists and by paying attention to the different aspects of porcelain as a material. These talents were gathered preferably from neighbouring towns. Roland Paris living and having connections in Weimar certainly fit into this category.

The company paid the artists a royalty of 10% of the cost price of their creations. These creations could not be given or sold to any other

Schwarzburger Werkstätten porcelain mark. The mark on the porcelain is the ‘walking fox’

enterprise to be made in porcelain or any other similar material. However, artists were free to have them made by other manufacturers in other media, such as bronze, ivory and wood. The factory mark is the ‘walking fox’. This firm is still in existence today.

After WWII, the factory now located in East Germany became a POLICE NOTES

MILITARY NOTES

‘people-owned’ enterprise.

After the reunification of Germany it re-emerged as a private enterprise.

The letter U in front of the number denotes that it was made in Unterweissbach, the original place of production. The letter S behind the number denotes sharp colour firings.

From U1 to U804 indicate human figurines and human figurative ensembles.

For example, the ‘U330’ number refers to Roland Paris’ ‘Colombine’.

The enterprise is still in existence today.

Heubach Roland Paris also worked with the Gebrüder Heubach porcelain factory.

The firm was located in Lichte, also in Thuringia not far from Weimar.

Originally founded in 1822 by Johann Heinrich Leder, under the name Lichte Porzellan, in 1840 the firm was taken over by the brothers Christoph

ZUMGARTENBAUBETRIEB (TO THE GARDEN CENTRE)

and Philipp Heubach, and remained in the Heubach family for over 6 decades. The Roland Paris figures produced by Heubach include a series of Pierrots, jesters and cute dogs.

The firm is still in existence today.

Heubach porcelain mark

80

81

PORCELAIN

BAJAZZO

BAJAZZO AND PIERETTE ENCHANTED

3 porcelain versions, all Schwarzburger Werkstätten

Porcelain; Schwarzburger Werkstätten and Heubach,

Height: 38cm. (15in.) each.

mounted as lamps.

(Dino Menasche collection)

Height: 39.5cm. (151⁄2in.) and 36.5cm. (141⁄2in.)

(Private Collection)

82

84

GUITAR PLAYER

PIERETTE WITH MASK

Porcelain, Schwarzburger Werkstätten

Porcelain Schwarzburger Werkstätten

Height: 30cm. (11¾in.)

Height: 36cm. (14¼in.)

(Dino Menasche collection)

(Dino Menasche collection) 85

AKIMBO Porcelain Heubach Height: 34.5cm. (13½in.)

(José de Ribamar Saboia de Azevedo collection)

ORIENTAL BEAUTY Porcelain Heubach Height: 40cm. (15¾in.)

(Dino Menasche collection) 86

87

PIERROT’S LONGING Porcelain – Heubach Height: 24.5cm. (9¾in.)

(Roland Wood collection) Also in marble: 29cm. high CLOWN LAMENTING Porcelain Heubach Height: 34.5cm. (13½in.)

(Private collection) 88

89

HEARTFELT Porcelain Height: 32cm. (12½in.)

(Janet Rogers Scott collection)

BOW TIE Porcelain Heubach Height: 27.5cm. (10¾in.)

Dino Menasche collection 90

91

92

SEATED FOOL

KING

Porcelain Heubach

Porcelain Heubach

Height: 13cm. (5in.)

Height: 15cm. (6in.)

(Dino Menasche collection)

(Private collection) 93

PIERROT ATTENDANT AND PIERETTE ENCHANTED Cast marble Height: 43.5cm. (17in.) each.

(Alda and Felippe Crescenti collection) Both also known in porcelain: 22cm. (8¾in.)

‘BOXHUND’ Porcelain, Heubach Height: 9.5cm. (9¾in.)

(Private collection)

94

SEATED TERRIER

MATILDA

Porcelain Heubach

Porcelain Heubach

Height: 11.5cm. (4½in.)

Height: 11cm. (4¼in.)

(Denise Terpins collection)

(Private collection)

FROG KING FAIRY TALE The Frog King fairy tale is best known by the brothers Grimm version. It tells of a spoiled young princess that goes for a walk in the woods. She comes to a small spring of water where she decides to take a rest. She had in her hands her favourite plaything: a golden ball. She would throw this ball up in the air and catch it as it fell. Once she missed catching the ball and it rolled along and fell down into the stream.

The princes was in distress and she could not recover her ball, as it was far too deep into the water. She sobbed and cried out that she would give her fine clothes, jewels and anything she had if she could get her ball back again. A frog come out of the water and hearing her lamentation offers to get her ball but does not want her jewels nor fine clothes, in exchange he wants her love. She dismisses the frog’s seriousness and accepts. The frog plunges to the bottom of the stream and recovers her ball. She grabs the ball and rushes back to the palace leaving the frog abandoned.

The next day the frog gets into the palace and demands his part of the bargain. She sees him with disgusting eyes. Eventually the frog stays in the

FROG-KING FOUNTAIN

palace by her bed for three consecutive nights. At the end of the last night,

Porcelain Heubach

when she wakes up she is astonished to see instead of the frog, a hand-

Height: 38cm. (15in.)

(Private collection, Berlin)

some prince gazing at her with beautiful eyes. He tells her that a malicious witch turned him into a frog and that that spell would be broken when he would meet a princess by a stream and sleep with her for three consecutive nights. They ride away in a horse drawn carriage to live ever after.

In another version of the tale, the princess is so disgusted by the frog that she throws him against the wall, whereupon the frog turns back into a prince and they lived happy ever after.

Contemporary images

KING OF FROGS Bronze on marble base Height: 28.5cm. (11¼in.); Porcelain (Heubach) Height: 24.5cm (93⁄4in.)

(Denise Terpins collection)

96

97

WOODCUTS, LITHOGRAPHS. GOUACHES, WATERCOLOURS AND TEMPERAS

CURIOSITY 30.5 x 21cm. (12 x 8¼in.)

Pencil and watercolour (Private collection, Berlin)

AMAZEMENT Pencil and watercolour 31 x 22cm. (12¼ x 8¾in.)

(Private collection, Berlin)

THE SNOB Watercolour 12.5 x 8.5cm. (5 x 3¼in.)

(Private collection, Berlin)

98

99

PLUMES Tempera Height: 22 x 24½cm. (8¾ x 9in.)

(Marina Leopoldi collection, Germany)

THE ACCORDIONIST Tempera 24 x 21.5cm. (9½ x 8½in.).

(Marina Leopoldi collection, Germany)

ELEGANCE Tempera 20 x 27.5cm. (8 x 10¾in.)

(Albert and Rita Michaan collection) 100

101

UNGER Tempera Size: 15.5 x 12cm. (6 x 4¾in.)

(Private collection)

BUFFOON WITH SCEPTER Tempera 30 x 42cm. (11¾ x 16½in.)

(Private collection) 102

103

CHECK MATE Print 20 x 16cm. (8 x 6¼in.)

(Private collection, Berlin)

CURTAIN-FALL Tempera 28 x 39.5cm. (11 x 15½in.)

(Private collection) 104

105

SWIRLS. PANTALOONS Gouache 39 X 26cm. (15¼ x 10¼in.)

(Private collection)

R. VON BENNINGHOFF Print 41 x 21.5cm (16 x 8½in.)

(Private Collection) 106

107

108

PUPPETS

CUPID

Print

Print

23 x 29cm. (9 x 11½in.)

32 x 27cm. (12½ x 10½in.)

(Private collection)

(Private collection) 109

110

AKIMBO

DREAMING

Print

Print

32 x 27cm. (12½ x 10½in.)

23 x 29.5cm. (9 x 11½in.)

(Private collection)

(Private collection) 111

112

VORTEX

LUTE-PLAYER

Print

Print

32 x 24cm. (12½ x 9½in.)

33 x 24.5 cm. (13 x 9¾in.)

(Private collection)

(Private collection 113

WOODCUTS Woodcuts are an old technique very much used in Germany, it is also known as xylography. It consists of carving a block of wood and making prints out of it. The wood is etched in the same sense as the grain of the fibres.

The harder the wood, the more detail can be made. Different types of wood used: cormier, beech wood, apple, pear, boxwood.

Roland Paris learned this technique from Walther Klemm, one of the greatest German artists of the woodcarving genre.

BEAU ECSTATIC (Janet Rogers Scott collection)

BELLE (Marina Leopoldi collection, Germany)

COMMOTION 114

GIDDY

OBNUBILATION 115

ASH WEDNESDAY

EX LIBRIS WILHELM PARIS

EX LIBRIS LINA UNGER

EX LIBRIS WILHELM PARIS II 116

117

OVERTURE

SEDUCTION

PASSION

118

FOLLY

FRENZY

119

SELF PORTRAIT

EROTIC DANCER

CARNIVAL

FLIRTATION

PIERROTS WITH LAMPION 120

121

PIERROT WITH MANDOLIN JEALOUSY

MOONLIGHT SERENADE

PIERROT WITH LAMPION 122

123

HĂ–LLENREIGEN (DANCE OF HELL). Woodcuts A half VELLUM portfolio of 6 woodcuts. Published in 1920 in a limited edition of 15 copies. This one being the master copy.

Exhibited in 1920 at the Neunerschen Art Gallery in Berlin and in 1925 at the Old Garden Museum in Schwerin.

ROBES AND RIBBONS

DILEMMA

124

125

GESPENSTER (GHOSTS) by Roland Paris.

A folio with 6 lithographs made in 1920. Edited in a limited number of 150. This one being number 19.

"Appearead as the fifth work by the artist, Roland Paris Verlag (Publishing House), Berlin 1920�

Exhibited in 1920 at the Old Garden Museum in Schwerin.

GESPENSTER GHOSTS

CONSCIENCE 126

DEATH

DESPAIR

SUFFERING

FEAR

PURSUIT 127