Emy Roeder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emy Roeder
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| Born | January 30, 1890 |
| Died | February 7, 1971 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Munich Academy, Berlin Academy |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Spouse(s) | Herbert Gabe |
Emy Roeder (born January 30, 1890 – died February 7, 1971) was a talented German sculptor. She was known for her modern art, especially her work in the German Expressionist movement. Emy was the first woman to become a "Master Student" of sculpture at the Berlin Academy.
Sadly, in 1937, her art was called "Degenerate art" by the Nazis. This meant her work was seen as bad and was even taken away. After World War II, she was arrested in Italy because she was a German citizen. She later received important awards for her art, like the Villa Romana prize and the Federal Cross of Merit. Emy Roeder passed away in Mainz when she was 81 years old.
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Emy Roeder's Early Life and Art Training
Emy Roeder started studying drawing and sculpture when she was a teenager. From 1908 to 1910, she learned a lot about art. She then went to the Kunstakademie in Munich, Germany. She studied there for two years, but she felt it was a "disappointment."
In 1912, Emy moved to Darmstadt. There, she studied under a famous Expressionist sculptor named Bernhard Hoetger. This experience was much better for her, and she found it "enriching." Hoetger's ideas and style greatly influenced Emy's artwork.
Moving to Berlin and Finding Her Style
After studying with Hoetger, Emy wanted more artistic challenges. Around 1915, she moved to Berlin by herself. In Berlin, she met many other artists. These included Käthe Kollwitz, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and the sculptor Herbert Garbe. Emy married Herbert Garbe in 1920.
During this time, Emy spent some time alone. She closely watched the lives of peasants. This experience became very important in her later work. She often showed peasant women in her art, finding a sense of dignity in their difficult lives.
Challenges and Lost Art
It is sad to know that much of Emy's early artwork from the 1910s and 1920s is not well known today. Many pieces were lost or destroyed. Some were ruined during the World Wars, and others were destroyed by the Nazis.
Luckily, some of her later works have been saved. You can find them in German museums, like the Städtische Galerie in her hometown of Würzburg.
Art for Social Change
After her time away, Emy moved back to Berlin. This was a time of big political changes and violence. Emy believed that art could help achieve good goals for society. So, she joined a group of artists called the Novembergruppe (November Group).
This group wanted their art to support a socialist society. However, this goal soon changed. The group focused more on showing their members' art in exhibitions. They became less about political action.
Emy's early art also included traditional Christian themes. She moved to Oberammergau, Germany, to learn woodcarving. This skill helped her create Creche Relief. This was one of the few pieces of her art that survived the war. It is also her only known work in a North American collection.
New Realism and Women Artists
Emy Roeder's art began to change again. She moved away from Expressionism and started a new style called Die neue Sachlichkeit (The New Objectivity). This style was more realistic.
She became involved in groups and exhibitions that helped women artists. These groups also worked to improve social conditions for women. She took part in important exhibitions like "The Creative Woman in the Visual Arts" and "Women in Need." For three years in the late 1920s, she was a member of the Association of Berlin Women Artists. This group had been started in 1867.
Awards and Difficult Times
Emy Roeder's reputation as an artist grew in the 1930s. In 1934, two of her works were included in an important book about German sculpture. In 1936, she received the Villa Romana Prize. This award gave her a one-year scholarship to work and study at the Villa Romana in Florence, Italy. The Villa Romana was a German art institute.
In 1937, Emy left for Italy. She chose to focus completely on her art, even if it meant being alone.
Art Under Attack
Even though Emy was away from Germany, she still felt the impact of the Nazis. The Nazis came to power and began to fight against all forms of modern art, including Expressionism. In 1937, the Nazis publicly criticized Emy's work. Her sculpture Pregnant Woman was taken by the Nazis. It was shown in a famous exhibition called "Entartete Kunst" (Degenerate Art) in Munich, Germany. Being labeled "Degenerate" meant she was not allowed to show her art in Germany.
Later, in 1944, Florence was taken over by the Allied forces. Emy was identified as an "enemy alien" because she was German. She was arrested and sent to an internment camp in Padula. There, she was in charge of the women's bathhouse. Luckily, she was allowed to draw. She made many sketches of the people in the camp and their movements.
Return to Germany and Recognition
After her release, Emy went back to Rome. She used her sketches from the camp to create a series of bronze sculptures. In 1949, her request to become an Italian citizen was denied. So, Emy Roeder returned to Germany.
Back in her home country, she taught at the Landeskunstschule. She finally received a lot of recognition for her art. She had many exhibitions, won prizes, and received medals. She even took part in the first documenta exhibition in Kassel in 1955. After years of hardship, she was able to create art again before she passed away on February 7, 1971.
Principal Works
- 1914 – Bust of a Girl, artificial stone, destroyed.
- 1918 – Portrait of Herbert Garbe, artificial stone, destroyed.
- 1919 – Pregnant Woman, terracotta, location unknown.
- 1920 – Family, destroyed.
- 1920 – Creche Relief, wood, Courtesy The Robert Gore Rifkind Collection, Beverly Hills, California.
- 1939 – Bather, terracotta, destroyed.
- 1946 – Padula I, bronze relief, Courtesy Städtische Galerie, Würzburg.
- 1964 – Self-Portrait, bronze, Courtesy Städtische Galerie, Würzburg.
Images for kids
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Tripoli III (1963), Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn
