The artistic Work

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The artistic Work
Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
Peter Janssen 1906 - 1979
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
Peter Janssen , a German painter, who was very
active and productive during his lifetime, has
left a big legacy. Unfortunately after his death
in 1979 his great work was allowed to sleep -
until now. As his grandchildren, we are
determined to make his work accessible again to
all who gain pleasure from and appreciate good
art.
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
Peter Janssen comes from a family with a long
artistic tradition
The grandfather Peter Janssen, 1844 -1908 painter
and director of the Duesseldorf Academy of Arts
and well-known painter of historical scenes .
The great grandfather Tamme Weyert Theodor
Janssen, 1816 -1894 painter and lithographer and
co-founder of the Duesseldorf artist association
Malkasten
The sculptor Karl Janssen born in 1855 was the
brother of the Academy Director Peter Janssen.
His work is closely connected with the historical
development of art at the Duesseldorf Academy of
Arts.
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Important Stages
Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
In 1923, at the age of 17, he began his studies
at the Duesseldorf Academy of Arts and was a
student of Karl Ederer, Johan Thorn-Prikker and
Heinrich Nauen. In the winter of 1925/26 he
joint the artists association Junges
Rheinlandfocussed around Johanna Mutter Ey .
There, he was in close contact with artists such
as Max Ernst, Jankel Adler, Kurt Georg Becker,
Jean Paul Schmitz, Bruno Goller and Matthias
Barz.
Ischia 1929 / Oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
1926 1928 Studies at the Academie de la Grande
Chaumiere, Paris 1930 Peter Janssen married his
first wife Inga Ida Marie, nee Rödmann. Around
this time his name and his work were both very
well acknowledged in the Duesseldorf art scene,
which is reflected in the possitive critics of
the media during this period..
Inga Janssen 1936 /Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm
Childrens Carnival 1938 / Oil on canvas, 80 x 98
cm
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
In 1935 the Nazis forbade him to paint. The
period from 1933 to 1945 Peter Janssen was
descibed in his biography as absent. He
travelled a lot in these years to avoid his
arrest and spent time in America, England and
Spain. In 1944 he was arrested and deported to a
concentration camp from which he managed to
escape. Good friends gave him shelter in
Duesseldorf and helped him to hide until the end
of the war.
Document with the prohibition to work as a painter
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
In 1949 he joined the newly founded artist
association Neue Rheinische Sezession . With
the painters Bruno Goller, Karl Barth, Otto
Coester, Oswald Petersen, Robert Pudlich, Max
Peiffer-Watenphul and Wilhelm Teuwen he formed
the group of artists, who subscribed to the
modest direction, i.e. objective painting. In
contrast to the more progressive painters such as
Joseph Fassbender, Ewald Matare, Georg
Meistermann, Otto Ritschl and Hann Trier, who
were following the abstract direction.
Still Life with Parrot 1949 / Oil on canvas, 81
x 65 cm
Landscape Schnellenburg 1947 / Oil on canvas, 65
x 80 cm
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
In 1952 Peter Janssen was awarded
theCornelius-Preisby the City of Duesseldorf.
To activelly sponsor art is one of the most
distinguished committments of our city", was the
comment in the press release of the "Düsseldorfer
Nachrichten" in 1952.
For the competition The Image of the German
City held by the city of Duesseldorf in 1955,
Peter Janssen won first price with his painting
"Die Düsseldorfer Königsallee".
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
When Peter Janssen left his hometown Duesseldorf
in 1957, he accepted the offer of professorship
for the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. He first
led the introductory course and later took over
the painting class.
Sella (II) 1957/ Oil on canvas, 120 x 110 cm
View of Vevey 1958 / Oil on canvas, 80 x 60 cm
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Peter Janssen's Art Gallery
Now his interest focussed on objects of daily
life such as hats, fruit, glasses, bottles,
flowers and ribbons, which he arranged as still
life. The orderly design of his paintings is
significant for the paintings of his Berlin
period.
Three-Storey-Tree 1964 / Oi on canvas, 135 x 125
Inkpot 1966 / Oi on canvas, 70x 50 cm
Table with Melon and Pear 1967 / Oil on canvas,
80 x 100 cm
Peter Janssen, who performed his teaching
assignment with success and enthusiasm retired in
1971. Still very active he died in 1979 at the
age of 72 in Berlin.
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