Peter Dreher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Dreher
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Dreher in 2012
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| Born | 26 August 1932 Mannheim, Germany
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| Died | 20 February 2020 (aged 87) |
| Known for | Tag um Tag guter Tag |
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Peter Dreher (born August 26, 1932 – died February 20, 2020) was a famous German artist and art teacher. He was known for painting many series of pictures. These included landscapes, rooms, flowers, and even skulls. His most famous series, Tag um Tag guter Tag, started in 1974. As a professor, he taught and inspired many artists, like Anselm Kiefer. His artwork has been shown all over the world.
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Peter Dreher's Life and Art
Dreher was born in Mannheim, Germany. He started drawing when he was only seven years old. He knew then that he wanted to be an artist. When he was twelve, his father died fighting in World War II in Russia.
Becoming an Artist
In the 1950s, Dreher studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe. At that time, many artists were moving towards realistic painting. He learned from teachers like Karl Hubbuch and Wilhelm Schnarrenberger. These teachers were part of a style called New Objectivity. He also learned from Erich Heckel, who helped start the Die Brücke art group. Dreher had his very first art show in 1954. It was at the Kunsthalle Mannheim in his hometown.
His Unique Painting Style
Peter Dreher became well-known for his special series called Tag um Tag guter Tag. He began this project in 1974. For this series, he painted the same empty glass over 5,000 times! He also painted other series. These included landscapes, indoor scenes, flowers, and skulls.
Dreher admired some ideas from artists like Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. However, he did not agree with many art trends of the 1950s and 1960s. These trends included abstract expressionism, minimalism, and pop art. Dreher always stayed true to his realistic and figurative painting style. This means he painted things as they looked in real life.
Teaching Young Artists
From 1965, Dreher taught painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe. He became a professor there in 1968. Many students learned from him. Some of his famous students included Anselm Kiefer, Klaus Merkel, and Eva Rosenstiel. Dreher stopped teaching in 1997. He passed away in February 2020 when he was 87 years old.
Peter Dreher's Famous Works
Tag um Tag guter Tag Series
In 1974, Dreher started a very special art project. He painted the same empty glass again and again. This series was called Tag um Tag guter Tag, which means Day by Day, Good Day. He painted the glass more than 2,500 times at night. He also painted it over 2,500 times during the day. He said this process was like meditation for him.
At first, Dreher only planned to paint the glass a few times. But he found he couldn't stop! He painted the glass at least 50 times every year. He was still painting it in the 2010s. He said he would only stop when he lost his motivation. He always painted the glass in the center of a 25 x 20 cm grey background. He painted it from the same distance and at its real-life size.
Self-Portraits
Between 1977 and 1979, Dreher painted several pictures of himself. These self-portraits were made to decorate the library at the University of Freiburg. When the building was taken down, the portraits were moved. Today, you can find them in the basement of the library, among the bookshelves.
Art Shows Around the World
Peter Dreher's artwork was shown in many international exhibitions. Here are some of the places where his art was displayed:
- 1954: Kunsthalle Mannheim, Germany
- 1974: Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
- 1975: Kunstverein Freiburg, Germany
- 1976: Galerie Hans Mayer, Düsseldorf, Germany
- 1977: Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany
- 1982: Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal, Germany
- 1990: Museum für Neue Kunst Freiburg, Germany
- 1993: Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany
- 2002: Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA
- 2008: Kunsthalle Erfurt, Germany
- 2011: Musée d'art moderne et contemporain in Geneva, Switzerland
- 2013: MK Galleries, United Kingdom
Awards and Honors
Peter Dreher received several important awards for his art. Some of these include:
- 1965: Villa Massimo
- 1976: Reinhold-Schneider-Preis of Freiburg
- 1979: Hans-Thoma-Preis of Baden-Württemberg
- 1995: Erich-Heckel-Preis of Künstlerbund Baden-Württemberg
- 2000: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
