Julius Leopold Bernhard Exter (20 September 1863,

Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig's Port upon Rhine"), is a city in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the river Rhine, opposite Mannheim. With Mannheim, Heidelberg, and the surrounding region, it f ...

- 16 October 1939, Übersee) was a German painter and sculptor. His work consists mostly of landscapes and portraits.

Biography

He was born to a family of merchants. His brother was architect

August Exter August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

. He began his education in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...

. In 1881, he enrolled at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...

, where he befriended

Franz von Stuck Franz von Stuck (February 23, 1863 – August 30, 1928), born Franz Stuck, was a German painter, sculptor, printmaker, and architect. Stuck was best known for his paintings of ancient mythology, receiving substantial critical acclaim with '' The ...

, who introduced him to painting en

plein aire ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

. In 1898, he married the pianist and painter, Judith Anna Köhler (1868-1952); daughter of the

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...

art publisher, Karl Christian Köhler. Two of their children became artists; Judith (1900-1975, painter and sculptor) and Karl (1902-1982, painter and stage designer). They were divorced in 1917. In 1892, he became one of the co-founders of the

Munich Secession The Munich Secession was an association of visual artists who broke away from the mainstream Munich Artists' Association in 1892, to promote and defend their art in the face of what they considered official paternalism and its conservative polic ...

. In 1902, he purchased a farm in

Chiemsee Chiemsee () is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, near Rosenheim. It is often called "the Bavarian Sea". The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake from the south, and the river Alz flows out towards the north. The Alz flows i ...

, where he opened a studio and painting school. That same year, he was appointed Titular Professor and became an honorary member of the Munich Academy. Later, he became associated with

Franz Marc Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (8 February 1880 – 4 March 1916) was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of '' Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider), a journal whose name later b ...

and

Der Blaue Reiter ''Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider) is a designation by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc for their exhibition and publication activities, in which both artists acted as sole editors in the almanac of the same name, first published in mid-Ma ...

. After his divorce, he returned to Munich. Among his best-known students were the sculptor, , and Karl Friedrich Lippmann. He died at his home in 1939, of heart failure. His daughter Judith donated his estate to the State of

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

in return for a life annuity. The home is now a museum and gallery. His works may also be seen at the Augustinian monastery in

Herrenchiemsee Herrenchiemsee is a complex of royal buildings on Herreninsel, the largest island in the Chiemsee lake, in southern Bavaria, Germany. Together with the neighbouring isle of Frauenchiemsee and the uninhabited Krautinsel, it forms the municipality ...

Selected paintings

Julius Exter - Im sommerlichen Laubwald.jpg, Leafy Forest in Summer Julius Exter - Frühling.jpg, Spring Julius Exter - Am See 1920.jpg, By the Lake Julius Exter - Weiblicher Akt 1910.jpg, Female Nude Julius Exter (c. 1884–85) Porträt eines Japaners.jpg, ''Portrait of a Japanese'', depicting artist Harada Naojirō

Sources

* Elmar D. Schmid: ''Julius Exter, 1883-1939. Unbekannte Werke aus dem Nachlass seiner Schülerin Olga Fritz-Zetter.'', Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung, * Elmar D. Schmid: ''Julius Exter. Aufbruch in die Moderne.'' Klinkhardt & Biermann, 2000 . * Elmar D. Schmid: ''Julius Exter. Freilichtmalerei.'' Beuroner Kunstverlag, 2005 . * Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer, ''Julius Exter (1863–1939).'' (exhibition catalog), Speyer, 2006 .

External links

*
"Julius Exter Art Gallery in the Prelacy Tract"
@ Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung

@ Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung

@ Art-Perfect
ArtNet: More works by Exter.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exter, Julius 1863 births 1939 deaths 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists German male painters 20th-century German painters 20th-century German male artists Art Nouveau painters People from Ludwigshafen