The Artist Max Nonnenbruch (1857-1922)(Above)
Last week I was floating around on eBay France when I came across this beautiful pastel work of a semi-nude female by the German Artist Max Nonnenbruch (25 January 1857 – 13 March 1922). The beauty of the work was just breath taking. Well, the bidding ended just now and I made the German Anonymous Bidder (I hate people who hide their identity on these European Auction sites) and certified S.O.B pay through the nose for it! I suspect it was a European Gallery owner behind the bidding contest. Anyway, I tried. That's the best one can do! Here is some biographic information on the Artist:
"Max Nonnenbruch was born in Viersen as the son of the land registry inspector Alwin Nonnenbruch and his wife Karoline, née Gössling. He spent his childhood and early school years in Mönchengladbach. From 1868 the family lived in Bonn, where he attended high school. Even as a teenager he developed the desire to become a painter. From autumn 1875 he studied for two semesters at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. On May 2nd 1877 he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and studied under Wilhelm von Lindenschmit, among others, until 1879. He wrote the text for the picture cycle From the Four Seasons by Eduard Unger (1853-1894). The cycle and the texts were published in 1880 by Friedrich Bruckmann in Munich. From 1880 onwards he made several trips to Paris and Italy, including with his fellow students Arthur Langhammer, Hans Olde and Claus Meyer. He also travelled to Belgium and England. On Capri he met Gerhart Hauptmann and his brother Carl Hauptmann and in 1883 drew a caricature of the two brothers in the hotel's guest book. After completing his military service, he met Margarethe Anna Maria Freiin von Welck on Capri in 1894, whom he married on October 4, 1884 in Serkowitz and moved into a studio apartment with her at Landwehrstrasse 62 in Munich.
Max Nonnenbruch became a member of the Economic Association of Fine Artists, chairman of the Munich Artists' Support Association, member of the General German Art Cooperative and the Munich Artists' Cooperative. In 1889 he was a board member of the Munich Artists' Cooperative, and from 1890 he was also deputy secretary. At the 1892 International Art Exhibition in the Munich Glass Palace, he was secretary of the exhibition committee, chairman of the prize draw committee, member of the catalogue and finance committee, and finally responsible for contact with the English participants in the annual exhibitions. In 1892 and 1893 he travelled to England for this reason. In 1893 he and his wife moved to Nymphenburger Strasse 43. For his services in organising the English section at the 1893 International Art Exhibition in the Glass Palace, he was awarded the Order of Merit of Saint Michael, 4th Class, by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria. At the New Year's Festival in 1894 he was awarded the Order of Merit of Saint Michael, 3rd Class. In 1894 he visited England again, travelling via Paris, Bordeaux and Nice on the way back. He was also active in exhibition management in 1894 and 1895. In 1896 he wrote the article Modern Art and Robert Fowler for the magazine Die Kunst unserer Zeit. In 1899 he moved with his wife to Friedrichstrasse and in 1902 to the house he had purchased at Mandlstrasse 10 in the Schwabing district. In 1907 he was a member of the Comité Local D’Organisation of the 16th World Peace Congress in Munich.
Max Nonnenbruch had two sons and a daughter with his wife Margarethe Anna Maria, née von Welck (* February 2nd 1856 in Liebau; † December 17th 1930). On November 6th 1887 their son Wilhelm Nonnenbruch was born in Munich and on November 11th 1893 their daughter Marie († 1973), also in Munich. In 1924 Marie Nonnenbruch gave a Female Head on Paper by Robert Fowler to the Heinemann Gallery on commission and received the work back a few months later. It could perhaps have been the study head from Max Nonnenbruch's article about Robert Fowler. Marie Nonnenbruch married the physicist Eduard Rüchardt (1888-1962) on April 7th 1925.
Awards
* 1893 Order of Merit of Saint Michael, 4th class, awarded by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria for services in the exhibition management of the annual exhibition 1893 in the Royal Glass Palace in Munich
* 1894 Order of Merit of Saint Michael, 3rd class, awarded at the New Year's Festival by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria for services in the exhibition management of the annual exhibition 1893 in the Royal Glass Palace in Munich."
Here is the work in question:
And here are just a few examples of his works:
