Lyonel Feininger German-American artist, graphic artist and cartoonist. Date of Birth: 17.07.1871 Country: USA

1. Roots and Early Influences
2. Parysian Education and Artistic Breakthrough
3. Modernist Experiments and Expressionist Connections
4. Bauhaus and Artistic Maturity
5. Persecution and Emigration to the United States

Roots and Early Influences

Lyonel Feininger was born into a musically inclined family of German descent. In 1887-88, upon returning with his family to Germany, he honed his drawing skills at an art school in Hamburg and later at the Berlin Academy of Arts from 1889-92. Even as a student, Feininger's talent as a draftsman was evident, and he contributed to the satirical magazine "Humoristische Blätter."

Parysian Education and Artistic Breakthrough

In 1892, Feininger pursued further studies in Paris under Filippo Colarossi. He returned to Berlin in 1893 and worked as a caricaturist for various newspapers. A second trip to Paris in 1906 proved transformative as Feininger resolved to dedicate himself to painting. There, he encountered the nascent "analytical Cubism" of Picasso and Braque, which deconstructed objects into geometric and volumetric forms.

Modernist Experiments and Expressionist Connections

Influenced by Italian Futurists who employed a similar technique to capture movement, Feininger created his "Cyclist" (1912) painting. From 1908-19, he resided in Berlin, producing a series of maritime paintings reminiscent of Caspar David Friedrich's style. In 1913, Feininger exhibited at the first German Autumn Salon in Berlin. His first solo exhibition at the Sturm Gallery in 1917 propelled him into prominence and led to collaborations with Expressionists associated with the gallery.

Bauhaus and Artistic Maturity

Following World War I, Feininger relocated to Weimar, where he taught at the Bauhaus from 1919-1933, overseeing its graphic workshops. This period witnessed Feininger's creation of numerous paintings depicting European cityscapes. In 1924, he co-founded the exhibition society "Blaue Vier."

Persecution and Emigration to the United States

In 1933, the closure of the Bauhaus forced Feininger to return to Berlin, where he was denounced as a "degenerate" artist by the Nazi regime. In 1938, he fled to New York, where he immersed himself in mural painting. His style evolved once more, with graphic elements becoming increasingly prevalent in his works, as seen in "Manhattan at Twilight" (1944).