Shtratman, Karl

Born into a wealthy family. The father of the future artist, also Karl Stratmann, was a major merchant and fvbrikant, later - Consul of Chile in Germany. Mother, Alice, was English and contributed to the development of her son's interest in English culture and art. In the period from 1882 to 1886, Karl studied at the Düsseldorf Academy of Arts, but did not complete the course "for lack of talent" there and in 1886-1889 he continued his education in Weimar, at the local art school, in the class of Leopold von Kalkröith . After the departure of his teacher Kalkret from the Weimar school, K. Stratmann also leaves Weimar and in 1891 begins his life and career as a “free artist” in Munich. Here he is included in the number of local bohemians and at the same time he gets acquainted with the artist Lovis Corint , who has maintained friendly relations with his whole life. In Munich, he paints one of his most famous paintings - the large-format canvas “ Salambo ” (1894-1895), an outstanding work of Munich symbolism of an era. Its plot was inspired by the novel of the same name by the French writer Gustave Flaubert . The painting depicted the daughter of the Carthaginian commander Hamilcar Barki, ritually surrendering to the giant python. the artist decorated the canvas with precious stones. The picture caused a scandal in the local society, the work of K. Shtratman in the press was called nothing more than “sadistic fantasy”, “monstrous image”, etc. At the same time, the scandalous painting brought him widespread fame.

Around 1900, K. Stratmann opens, in collaboration with artists Alexander von Salzmann and Adelbert Niemeyer , an art workshop in Munich. In this period of his creativity, he begins to be interested in caricature, works a lot in this genre. K. Shtratman's drawings appear in such periodicals as the magazines Pan, Flying Leaves (Fliegende Blätter), Jugend , Simplicissinus . The artist creates ornaments for wallpapers, menus and cards in restaurants and hotels, posters, postcards. Also works as a furniture designer. K. Shtratman close to such artistic techniques as pointillism , Japaneseism and impressionism . The artist becomes a member of the art groups Allotria and Club Cocorello. which were part of the Munich Secession movement. however, due to contention in them, it soon leaves their composition. He was a member of the German Union of Artists since its formation in 1903, the Berlin Secession movement, in whose exhibition in 1917 he took an active part. In 1904, K. Shtratman, together with a group of colleagues, organized the "Union of Munich watercolorists."

Karl Shtratman's works were exhibited at his numerous solo exhibitions both during the artist’s life (since 1902) and after his death in museums and galleries in Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Dresden, Bonn, Krefeld, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, etc. The last solo exhibition of his works dates back to 2019 and is organized at the Municipal Museum of Munich (Münchner Stadtmuseum).

• Lovis Corinth: Carl Strathmann. in: Kunst und Künstler: illustrierte Monatsschrift für bildende Kunst und Kunstgewerbe . Sat 1/1902, p. 255 ff. [one]
• Walter Rothes: Carl Strathmann. in: Die Kunst und das schöne Heim | Die Kunst für Alle . Sat 29/1914, pp. 505–516 [2]
• Ismar Lachmann: Karl Strathmann - München. In: Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration: illustrierte Monatshefte für moderne Malerei, Plastik, Architektur, Wohnungskunst und künstlerische Frauen-Arbeiten. Koch, Stuttgart 1917, Volume 40, pp. 296–299 (with illustrations), ISSN 2195-6308 [3]
• Joachim Heusinger von Waldegg: Grotesker Jugendstil: Carl Strathmann 1866–1939: Gemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, Druckgraphik . Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn. In Kommission bei R. Habelt 1976, ISBN 3-7927-0271-1 .

• Karl Stratman . in: Corinth, Lovis: Legenden aus dem Künstlerleben (Legends from the life of artists) . 2nd ed., Berlin: Bruno Cassirer, 1918, pp. 68–82
• Carl Strathmann , dates of life on the portal karikatur.de

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  Maria , approx. 1895

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  Spring , 1906

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  Attack , 1914

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  Still life with flowers , 1916

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  Butterfly Flowers , 1916

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  Snail Post , 1914