Erich Gruner

Biography

Book covers, posters, logos, typography, stamps, illustration, set designs. Born Erich Luis Gruner 14 November 1881 in Leipzig. 1900-05: studied at the Leipzig Akademie für Graphische Künste und Buchgewerbe (from 1902 in the Meisterschule). 1905-06: on a stipend from Leipzig, he studied in Paris under Jan Paul Laurens, a fresco painter; met Henri Matisse. 1909: travelled in Portugal and Spain. 1912: travelled in Italy. 1914: his work featured in Das Plakat, May. 1914-16: military service; twice wounded. 1919: designed logo for the Leipziger Messe. Set designs for the Schauspielhaus, Leipzig, and Stadttheater, Frankfurt a.M. and Mainz. 1930-46: Director of the Leipzig Kunstgewerbeschule (from 1934: Handwerkerschule der Stadt Leipzig; from 1943: Meisterschule für das gestaltende Handwerk). By 1931: member of the Verein deutsche Buchkünstler E.V. By 1960: designed postage stamps for the DDR. Died 30 December 1966 in Leipzig.

Writings by

  • Judas, Leipzig, 1912 (self-published)
  • Kriegstagebuch
  • Krieg
  • autobiography to Nov. 1924, in AfB, v. 4, 1924.

Writings about

  • Otto Pelka, ‘Erich Gruner’, AfB, April 1911, pp. 96, 98-103 and supplement
  • Georg Biermann, ‘Neue deutsche Buchkunst’, AfB, April 1911, pp. 104-12
  • Martin Wackernagel, ‘Erich Gruner’ (Deutsche Buchkünstler der Gegenwart series), ZfB, I, 1913/14, pp. 129-38
  • Arndt Beyer, ‘Erich Gruner’, Das Plakat, 1914, v. 3
  • AfB, Nov./Dec. 1922, pp. 264, 265 (logos)
  • ZfB, 1922, numerous ills. in supplement
  • ZfB, 1923, 11, pp. 187-9
  • Fritz Hellwag, ‘Der Briefkopf’ (letterheads), Gg, Jhrg. 1, v. 7 (1924-5), pp. 3-48
  • Julius Zeitler, ‘Über Künstlersignete’, Die Reklame, Feb. 1925, pp141-3, 145
  • DdW, 1927
  • ‘Erich Gruner’, Philobiblon, Sept. 1928, p. 146 (recent work)
  • Hans Bockwitz, ‘Junge deutsche Büchkunstler’, AfB, Nov. 1934, pp. 699-784, esp. p. 700
  • Vollmer, 1955
  • Erich Schwanecke, ‘Erich Gruner als Illustrator’, Marginalien, 1968, v. 31, pp. 25-36 (includes biography, bibliography)
  • R.A. Winkler, ‘Erich Gruner’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1984, 4, pp. A128-33
  • Christiane Boesch, ‘Mein Vater Erich Gruner’, in Ute Camphausen, ed., Die Leipziger Kunstgewerbeschule (exh. cat.), Leipzig: Museum für Handwerk/Grassimuseum, 1996 (also pp. 193-4)
  • DBE, 1996
  • Benezit, 2006.

Collections

  • Klingspor Museum, Frankfurt a.M.

Exhibitions

  • Leipzig, Berlin, Vienna, London, 1910
  • Deutsche Buchgewerbemuseum, Berlin, 1911
  • Dresden, Basle, Bucharest, Copenhagen
  • Deutsche Bücherei, 1922
  • Leipzig, 1927
  • Museum der Bildenden Kunst, Leipzig, 1957
  • Museum für Handwerk/Grassimuseum, Leipzig, Dec. 1996-March 1997.