Johannes Molzahn

Biography

Typography, photography, book jackets, exhibition design. Born 21 May 1892 in Duisburg; his father a bookbinder. Studied at the Weimar Kunstschule. 1909-14: study in Bern, Montreux, Zurich; studied with the painters Hermann Huber, and with Otto Meyer-Amden, who had a major influence upon Molzahn. From 1915: military service; in 1916 on the German/Danish border. From 1921: member of the Novembergruppe. From 1922: designed publicity for Fagus Werke. 1923-8: taught commercial art, industrial design, photography, printing at the Magdeburg Kunstgewerbeschule. 1927: designed book jackets and displays for the Werkbund Exhibition, Breslau. 1928-34: taught painting and graphics at the Breslau Kunstakademie (Akademie für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe); the Akademie was closed April 1932, then re-organised with Molzahn as acting director and head of the master studio. January 1934: dismissed by the Nazis. July 1937: seven works in ‘Entartete Kunst’ (Degenerate art) exhibition, Munich; 33 of his works removed from German museums. 1938: emigrated to USA with the help of Katherine Dreier (collector), Walter Gropius and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy; his wife Ilse remained in Berlin. 1938-41: taught art at University of Washington, Seattle. 1941-3: lived in New York City where he had a studio. 1943-7: taught at the School of Design, Chicago (the ‘new Bauhaus’). 1947-52: taught at the New School for Social Research, New York City; freelance artist/designer. 1959: returned to Germany; freelance in Munich. 1965: appointed member of the Akademie der Künste. Died 31 December 1965 in Munich. Two sons, by his first marriage, were killed in the war.

Writings by

  • ‘Das Manifest des absoluten Expressionismus’, Der Sturm, v. 10, 1919.

Writings about

  • F.H. Ehmcke, ‘Wahrzeichen – Warenzeichen’ (trademarks), Das Plakat, Feb. 1921, pp. 69-100
  • Erich Wiese, ‘Johannes Molzahn’, Der Cicerone, 1921, pp. 652-8
  • H.K. Frenzel, ‘Das Plakat für die deutschen Kampfspiele in Breslau 1930’, Gg, May 1930, pp. 58-9
  • Jan Tschichold, ‘New life in print’, Commercial Art, 1930, IX, pp. 1-20 (‘The New Typography’ explained)
  • J. Tschichold, ‘New paths in poster work’ (tr. E.O. Lorimer), Commercial Art, 1931, X, pp. 242-7 (poster)
  • Dr Hauschild, ‘Remarks on the technique of advertising an exhibition’, Buch- und Werbekunst, April 1934, pp. 100-107 plus 8 pp. supplement (JM in supplement)
  • Franz Roh, ‘Zum 60. Geburtstag von Johannes Molzahn’, Die Kunst und das schöne Heim, May 1952, pp. 286-8 (biog in English in prelims)
  • Erich Wiese, Ausstellung Johannes Molzahn (exh. cat.), Darmstadt: Hessisches Landesmuseum, 1956
  • Graphik, Dec. 1968, p. 9 (exh. poster of 1925)
  • Ernst Scheyer, ‘Molzahn, Muche and the Weimar Bauhaus’, Art Journal, New York, Spring, 1969, pp. 269-77
  • Herbert Schade, Johannes Molzahn/Einführung in das Werk und die Kunsttheorie des Malers, Munich/Zurich: Schnell & Steiner, 1972 (includes brief wiritings by JM, chronological biography, bibliography, and writings about JM)
  • Siegfried Salzmann (ed.), Johannes Molzahn. Das druckgraphische Werk (exh. cat), Duisberg: Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, 1977
  • IBD, 1983 (includes bibliography and list of exhibitions)
  • SB, 1991, esp. pp. 303-4
  • FOS, 1998
  • DBE, 1998
  • JA, 2000, esp. pp. 156-62
  • Christopher Wilk (ed.), Modernism, London: V&A, 2006 (h/b, p/b)
  • Benezit, 2006 (includes auction records 1971-2004).

Exhibitions

  • Weimar, 1913/14, 1922
  • Sturm Gallery, Berlin, several from 1917
  • Jena, Cologne, Dresden, 1919-20
  • Magdeburg, 1925
  • Brooklyn Museum, 1926 (group)
  • Duisburg and Essen, 1931
  • Berlin, 1936
  • Janis, New York, 1944 (group)
  • Landesmuseum, Darmstadt (then Kunstmuseum, Duisberg, and Folkwang Museum, Essen), 1956
  • Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, 1964, 1977
  • Goethe House, New York, 1970.

Collections

  • Staatsbibliothek der Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin.