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Fritz Winter Biography
Fritz Winter was born on September 22, 1905, in Altenbögge, near Unna, in Germany. His early life was far removed from the world of art; he began working in the coal mines at a young age, following in his father's footsteps. However, his travels in Belgium and the Netherlands in 1925 sparked an interest in drawing and painting, particularly influenced by the work of Vincent van Gogh. This newfound passion led him to apply to the Bauhaus in Dessau, where he was accepted in 1927.
The Bauhaus was a state-sponsored school of art and applied design founded in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius. It aimed to merge fine arts and crafts, thereby eliminating the distinctions between artists and craftsmen. At the Bauhaus, Winter studied under masters such as Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Oskar Schlemmer. His time at the Bauhaus was formative; he participated in the Junge Bauhausmaler (Young Bauhaus Painters) exhibition in 1929 and formed close friendships and artistic kinships with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, frequently visiting him in Davos, Switzerland, and also befriended sculptor Naum Gabo in Berlin.
After leaving the Bauhaus, Winter moved to Berlin and then to Munich and Dießen am Ammersee. His work during this period was primarily on paper due to the expense of canvas. However, the rise of the National Socialist regime in 1933 marked a turning point in his career. His art was deemed "degenerate" by the Nazi government, which banned and purged modern art from German institutions. Winter resigned from his teaching position at the Pädagogische Akademie, Halle an der Saale, and faced increasing restrictions on his artistic expression.
The outbreak of World War II saw Winter drafted into the German army, where he fought on the Eastern front in Poland and Russia. Despite the challenging circumstances, he continued to produce art during periods of leave. In 1944, he executed his "Triebkräfte der Erde" (Driving Forces of the Earth), a major series of 45 paintings on paper that symbolically represented the struggle of anti-Fascist artists and intellectuals. In May 1945, shortly before the armistice, Winter was taken as a prisoner of war by the Russian army and detained in Siberia until 1949.
Upon his return to Europe, Winter resumed painting with a more colorful palette and embraced the prevailing avant-garde trends toward abstraction. In 1949, he co-founded the Gruppe der Gegenstandslosen (Group of Nonrepresentational Artists), later renamed ZEN 49, in Munich. This group, which included fellow artists Willi Baumeister and Rupprecht Geiger, exhibited together until 1957 and represented the German counterparts to Tachisme. Winter's work during this period was multifaceted in its painting technique and formal qualities, standing in a tradition committed equally to the art of Der Blaue Reiter and the Bauhaus. He sought a superior connection to nature in his largely non-figurative formal language, aiming to make visible the elemental forces and structures underpinning all creation.
Winter's contributions to abstract painting earned him numerous important art prizes and international success from the 1950s onwards. He was represented at the 25th Venice Biennale in 1950, as well as at two documenta exhibitions. From 1955 to 1970, he taught at Kassel’s art school, the Staatliche Hochschule für bildende Künste. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Federal Republic’s Grand Order of Merit with Star in 1974. The following year, he opened the Fritz-Winter-Haus in Ahlen, further cementing his legacy in the art world.
Fritz Winter passed away on October 1, 1976, in Herrsching am Ammersee. His life and work remain a testament to the resilience of the artistic spirit in the face of adversity and the enduring power of abstract art to convey the complexities of human experience and the natural world.
Fritz Winter Quotes and Sales
of Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
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professionalism.
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