Franz von Stuck

A German painter, sculptor, graphic artist and decorator, one of the leaders of Symbolism in the visual arts of Europe in general and Germany in particular.

He painted genre pictures and portraits actively using mythological scenes. He became the organizer of the “Munich Secession”, which had the greatest success in Europe after Paris Salons. He founded the magazine “Jugeng”, from which the name “Jugendstil”, commonly known for the German style of art nouveau, was derived. For his merits and achievements, the son of a peasant and miller received a noble title, became an honorary doctor of the Technical University of Munich. There is an art museum at the villa that was built and equipped by von Stuck.

Key ideas:

– As an artist, F. von Stuck at the beginning made himself known for his peculiar caricatures and drawings of fantastic style, made in a somewhat rigid manner. They appeared in the periodicals “Fliegende Blätter” and “Fliegenden Blätter”, were published in separate series – “Allegories and Emblems”, “Twelve Months”, etc.

– Creating pictorial paintings of allegorical (either biblical or mythological) content, the artist combined the quirkiness of mystical and symbolic design with the merits of precise drawing and the harmony of colors chosen. This caused opposite opinions of critics and viewers.

– Characteristic for symbolism, the theme of “fatal” (often erotic) attraction, the bacchanalia of demonic irrational elements received from Stuck a particularly bright, sometimes brutal execution, as in “Fighting Fauns” (1889, New Munich Pinakothek).

– Images of war and violence, “vamp” women such as Salome, became archetypal in Stuck’s work (the canvas with the same name, created in 1906, is in the F. von Lenbach’s House-Museum). The predominant and very effective element of the artist’s compositions is a reflection of the psychology of horror. An unknown monster, a half-lynx and half-diva grips the hero of the painting in a deathly embrace; then a giant boa wraps itself around the body of the heroine, or sirens beckon to death.

– As a secessionist, Stuck rejected aspects of academic art; while for most painters a woman remained an idealized object, he brought in will and power in his female images. His heroines demonstrate amazing control over what is happening, even if they take a traditional and decorative pose.

– As a portrait painter, von Stuck, along with almost traditional images (“Self-portrait with his wife”, portraits of his daughter) uses symbolic subjects. The master depicted famous actress and writer Tilla Durieux as Circe.

– Franz made decorative spectacular frames for paintings; with full force unfolded his talent of a designer, decorator and sculptor when constructing and designing his own villa, which later became a museum and sight of Munich.