Marta Worringer facts for kids

Marta Worringer (January 16, 1881 – October 27, 1965) was a German Expressionist artist. She was famous for her powerful pictures of women. Her art often showed strong emotions like sadness or fear.

Life of Marta Worringer

Marta Maria Emilie Schmitz was born in Cologne, Germany. Her father, Emil Schmitz, was a lawyer. Marta later said her childhood felt "oppressive," meaning it was not very happy.

Becoming an Artist

In those days, women were not allowed to study at official German art schools. So, Marta studied art privately. She learned from Willy Spatz in Düsseldorf. She also studied at a special women's section of the Munich Art Association. Later, she learned from artist Cuno Amiet in Switzerland.

When she returned to Cologne, Marta lived with other artists. These included Emmy Worringer and Olga Oppenheimer. In 1907, Marta married Emmy's brother, Wilhelm Worringer. He was an art historian. Marta and Wilhelm had three daughters. Marta was mostly in charge of their care.

Moving Around Germany

Marta and Wilhelm moved many times. This was because Wilhelm changed university jobs. They lived in several cities, including Bern (1909–1914) and Bonn (1914–1927). They also lived in Königsberg (1928–1944) and Berlin (1944–1946).

After the war, they moved to Halle (1946–1950). In 1950, they moved to Munich. Both Marta and Wilhelm died there in 1965.

Marta Worringer's Artwork

In the early 1900s, Marta Worringer joined new art groups. One was the Cologne Secession. She was also part of an exciting art club called the Gereonsklub. In 1910, her art was shown at the Bern Art Museum. The next year, she showed her work at the famous Paris Salon.

Art After World War I

After World War I, Marta joined a movement called Das Junge Rheinland. This group wanted new, modern art. They did not like old-fashioned art styles. During the 1920s, Marta's art was shown all over Germany. From the late 1920s until 1941, she regularly showed her work. This was at the Königsberg Art Association.

During the time of the Weimar Republic, Marta was very successful. She even earned enough money to support her family.

Style and Subjects

Marta Worringer mostly made drawings and prints. She became known for her simple, strong drawings of women. These women often looked sad, scared, or in pain. Her art was often compared to that of Käthe Kollwitz. Both artists showed women dealing with strong feelings. However, Marta's style was more "stylized." This means her art was less realistic and more focused on artistic shapes and feelings.

Marta also designed some embroidery patterns. She illustrated books too. One book was an edition of Heinrich Kleist's story The Marquise of O. When she was in her late 40s, she started painting large oil pictures. But sadly, almost none of these paintings survived.

Loss and Legacy

In 1944, Marta had to leave almost all her artwork behind. This happened when she moved from Königsberg to Berlin during the war. Only about 175 of her works are known to still exist today. Many of these are from after the war. In 1993-1994, a special show of her work was held. It was at the August-Macke-Haus in Bonn.