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Fritz EichenbergAmerican engraver of German origin
Date of Birth: 24.10.1901
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Fritz Eichenberg: German-Born American Engraver
- Career in Berlin
- Emigration to the US
- Prolific Illustrator
- Religious Influences
- Begegnung mit Nikita Khrushchev
Fritz Eichenberg: German-Born American Engraver
Early Life and EducationFritz Eichenberg was born into a Jewish family in Cologne, Germany. He attended the Cologne Municipal School of Applied Arts and later the Leipzig Academy of Graphic Art.
Career in Berlin
From 1923 onwards, Eichenberg lived and worked in Berlin, primarily as a newspaper artist and book illustrator. He also occasionally wrote newspaper reports, including on political topics.
Emigration to the US
After the rise of Hitler to power in 1933, Eichenberg emigrated to the United States. He taught at the New School and the Pratt Institute, and later became the head of the art department at the University of Rhode Island.
Prolific Illustrator
Eichenberg was an exceptionally prolific illustrator, creating works for "The Praise of Folly" by Erasmus of Rotterdam, "Simplicius Simplicissimus" by Grimmelshausen, "Gulliver's Travels" by Swift, and numerous other literary classics.
Religious Influences
Many of Eichenberg's works were imbued with religious overtones. While he had been drawn to Daoism and Zen Buddhism in his youth, he converted to Quakerism in 1940 and also worked with the Catholic Worker magazine for many years. One of his most famous engravings is "Christ in the Breadline."
Begegnung mit Nikita Khrushchev
In 1960, Eichenberg met with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in New York City and presented him with American editions of Russian classics he had illustrated.
