Emil Rudolf Weiß

Emil Rudolf Weiß was a German typographer, graphic artist, and painter. His studies took place in Karlsruhe at the Großherzoglich Badischen Akademie, in Stuttgart, and in Paris at the Académie Julian. His first marriage was with the singer Johanna Swan, while he later married the sculptor Renée Sintenis. After his studies, he worked for a few years in Hagen for the arts patron Karl Ernst Osthaus (1854-1921). Weiß defined himself more and more as a painter, creating still lifes, portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes. His works are characterized by a pastose application of paint over large areas and a preference for earthy shades of color.

In 1910 Weiß was appointed professor at the Berlin School of Applied Arts, where he led the special class for decorative mural painting and pattern drawing until 1933. In that year he was declared “degenerate” by the Nazis, and in 1937 was expelled from the Prussian Academy of Arts. He then lived exclusively from his book art and typography work, retreating more and more often to his native Baden.

The poem Speerkampf (Spear Fight) transcribed by Weiß was - as in the case of Rudolf Koch - written by Karl Schenk, who also entered it in the literature section in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, no further information about the poem is available.