Werner Tübke
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Werner Tübke (30 July 1929 in
Schönebeck Schönebeck (), officially Schönebeck (Elbe), is a town in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. southeast of Magdeburg. For much of the twentieth century it was noted ...
, Germany – 27 May 2004 in
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 ...
, Germany) was a German painter, best known for his monumental
Peasants' War Panorama The Peasants' War Panorama () is a public monument in Bad Frankenhausen, Thuringia, Germany. It houses the monumental painting ''Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany'' () by East German painter Werner Tübke, executed from 1976 to 1987. The paini ...
located in Bad Frankenhausen. Associated with the Leipzig School, he is "one of the few East German artists who gained recognition in West Germany."


History

Tübke was born in 1929 into a merchant family. At the age of 17, Tübke spent 10 months in Soviet occupation authorities' prison without charge. He learned the trade of a building painter in
Schönebeck Schönebeck (), officially Schönebeck (Elbe), is a town in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. southeast of Magdeburg. For much of the twentieth century it was noted ...
(
Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
) and
Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
.Panorama museum (text in German)
/ref> After completing his high school education late, Tübke studied from 1948 to 1950 at the Higher School of Graphic Arts and Book Design in
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 ...
. From 1953 to 1954, he conducted research work at the Central House of Folk Art in
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 ...
. From 1954 to 1956 and 1957 to 1963, he worked as an independent artist. From 1956 to 1957, he was a senior assistant and from 1963 a lecturer at the Higher School of Graphic Arts and Book Design in
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 ...
. In 1961–1962, he went on a study trip to the Soviet Union. In 1972, he was appointed professor, and from 1973 to 1976, he served as rector of the same institution, after which he returned to independent creative work. After the reunification of Germany, he continued his artistic work, also in the former FRG territory. He died and was buried in
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 ...
.


Works

The individual style of Tübke's work refers to the painting of German and Dutch masters of the 16th and 17th centuries, especially
Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (; ; born Jheronimus van Aken ;  – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter from Duchy of Brabant, Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, gene ...
(1450–1516),
Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder ( ;  – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is known for his portraits, both of German ...
(1472–1553),
Albrecht Altdorfer Albrecht Altdorfer ( – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg, Bavaria. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main representative of the Da ...
(1480–1538), and
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer ( , ;; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, Old master prin ...
(1471–1528). At the same time, Tübke's painting is imbued with the atmosphere of surrealism from the 1920s. The artist's most important works are
mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...
paintings of battles and other historical events involving hundreds of figures. These works do not exhibit the characteristics of socialist realism, which were supported by the authorities in the former
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. The only exception is the
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
"Working Class and Intelligentsia" in the rectorate building of the university in
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 ...
(1971–1973). The artist's works can be found in many German museums, especially in
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. The Tübke Foundation is located in
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 ...
. Tübke's main work is located in the Panorama Museum Bauernkriegspanorama - the panorama of the battle of Frankenhausen, the site of the defeat of the peasant uprising led by the popular leader and theologian Thomas Müntzer. In the battle on May 15, 1525, 6,000 insurgents were killed. Müntzer was captured and executed two days later. Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture of the former
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
, Tübke painted a panorama of the battle from 1976 to 1987, measuring 14 x 123 m (for comparison, the Racławice Panorama measures 114x15 m and has a diameter of 38 m). The panorama shows over 3,000 figures on both sides of the battle. Many assistants helped Tübke in his work. The panorama was placed in a rotunda built on the battlefield. The painter worked on it for 11 years, often for 10 hours a day. According to art critics, the work is not a classical battle painting, but rather a philosophical vision of the era. The artist portrayed himself in the painting dressed as Harlequin. The Bad Frankenhausen panorama differs fundamentally from the Racławice and
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
panoramas of the battles of Borodino. In those panoramas, the viewer was intended to experience the illusion of observing the events from the center of the battlefield. Tübke adopted a different concept: he divided the entire canvas into separate scenes showing various events more or less related to the peasant war. They feature
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
,
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer ( , ;; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, Old master prin ...
,
Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...
, and, of course, Thomas Müntzer multiple times. The panorama is in the style of
Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (; ; born Jheronimus van Aken ;  – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter from Duchy of Brabant, Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, gene ...
,
Albrecht Altdorfer Albrecht Altdorfer ( – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg, Bavaria. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main representative of the Da ...
, and other painters of the time. In 1959, Tübke created a cycle called "Five Continents" for the Astoria Hotel in
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 ...
. In these paintings, Tübke brought the rules of socialist realism to ironic absurdity, surpassing Soviet masters in the abundance and meticulousness of details. After the hotel was renovated, the paintings were moved to the museum in Bad Frankenhausen. From 1990 to 1993, he designed the stage scenery and costumes for Carl Maria von Weber's opera "
Der Freischütz ' (Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, J. 277, Opus number, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Johann Fried ...
" for the opera in
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
. From 1993 to 1996, he created an
altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...
triptych A triptych ( ) is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all m ...
for the
neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
church in
Clausthal-Zellerfeld Clausthal-Zellerfeld () is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The town hosts the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort is locate ...
. In addition to the panorama from Bad Frankenhausen, the artist created over 300 easel paintings, thousands of prints, and over 500 watercolors.


''Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany''

The Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany is a monumental painting with a size of 14 meters (46 ft) by 123 meters (404 ft). It depicts a scene from the
German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt () was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It was Europe's largest and most widespread popular uprising befor ...
, which took place from 1524 to 1525. The painting is housed in the Panorama Museum in Bad Frankenhausen, where it has become a major tourist attraction. Tübke spent over 10 years working on the Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany, which he considered to be his life's work. The painting is a remarkable feat of artistic skill, featuring over 3000 individual figures and intricate details that capture the chaos and violence of the Peasants' War.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tubke, Werner 1929 births 2004 deaths People from Schönebeck Artists from the Province of Saxony Recipients of the National Prize of East Germany German contemporary artists East German artists Academic staff of the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig Painters from Leipzig