Philipp Grot Johann (also Philipp Grotjohann) (27 June 1841 in Stettin (Szczecin) – 26 October 1892 in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

) was one of the most prominent German

illustrators An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicated ...

of his time. He illustrated numerous editions of world-class literature but is probably best known for his

illustrations An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...

Grimm's Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (, , commonly abbreviated as ''KHM''), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm, first publish ...

Career and works

Grot Johann initially pursued a career in

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

; he spent his

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

at AG Vulcan Stettin where he continued to work as a

journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...

. In 1861 he took up studies in engineering at the Polytechnikum in

Hannover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

where he discovered his vocation for artistry. Among his first works were illustrations of old German writings at Wartburg castle. With the support of Peter von Cornelius, he moved to

in 1862 and studied first under Karl Ferdinand Sohn, then under Carl Johann Lasch. With the exception of the year 1867 which he spent in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

, Grot Johann remained in Düsseldorf for the rest of his life. He provided the graphics for opulent editions of the works of

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

and

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

that were published by the Grot'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, and also for works by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

. In spite of these prestigious commissions, and his extensive more commercially oriented work in

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

, Grot Johann considered his illustrations of Grimm's Fairy Tales a central part of his opus. Some of these illustrations are mildly humorous, such as the one in

The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs "The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs" () is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 29). It falls under Aarne–Thompson classification types 461 ("three hairs from the devil"), and 930 ("prophecy that a poor boy will marry a ...

where the devil is pictured reading a newspaper which, on closer examination, is a stock market letter. When death claimed him at only 51 years,

Anton Robert Leinweber Anton Robert Leinweber (7 February 1845, Böhmisch Leipa – 21 December 1921, Munich) was a Bohemian German painter and illustrator; known for his Orientalist and Biblical scenes. Biography His father was a secondary-school teacher. After c ...

succeeded him as an illustrator for the later editions of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Grot Johann's major works outside the illustration business include the

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

images from the Old and New Testament in St. Peter's church at

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

(1884–1886; together with Eduard von Gebhardt and Carl Hertel).

Sources

*Grotjohann, Philipp. Brockhaus' Konversations-Lexikon. 14th ed., Leipzig, Berlin and Vienna 1894; Vol. 8, p. 48

*Grimm's Märchen. Jubilee Edition, ca. 1900. p. XIII-VIV

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grot Johann, Philipp 19th-century German illustrators Brothers Grimm 1841 births 1892 deaths German stained glass artists and manufacturers Artists from Szczecin Artists from the Province of Pomerania Artists from the Kingdom of Prussia