Adolf de Haerartist • painterDüsseldorf 1892-1944 Osnabrück

The German graphic artist Adolf de Haer was mainly self-taught. He briefly attended the applied arts school in his hometown of Düsseldorf, but then opted for free artistry. In the 1920s he was one of the leading figures within the Düsseldorf avant-garde group 'Das Junge Rheinland', which included expressionists such as Gert Wollhein, Otto Dix and Marta Wollinger, as well as sculptors, writers and poets. The group did not pursue a common style, but opposed the art establishment and the prevailing artistic (naturalistic) traditions of the academy. It gave De Haer the space to develop a style leaning towards expressionism. Landscapes, flower still lifes and portraits were his preference. In 1921 the artist took part in a major exhibition of well-known Rhenish painters at E. Richter in Dresden.