His theatrical training at the Dresden Semperoper from 1909 to 1913 forged his scenographic sensibility and his sense of dramatic composition. This experience had a lasting influence on his conception of pictorial space and his mastery of visual effects.
His graphic studies under Emanuel Hegenbarth at the Dresden Art Academy (1913-1914) were interrupted by the Great War. His military service from 1914 to 1917 marked a generation of German artists deeply affected by the conflict.
Returning to his studies in 1917-1918, he became the master student of Otto Gussmann and Otto Hettner, a training course crowned by the Grand Prix d'État which confirmed his exceptional technical mastery.
The founding of the Dresden Secession Group in 1919 reveals its avant-garde commitment. This collective initiative, led alongside Otto Dix and Conrad Felixmüller, was part of the artistic effervescence of the post-war period and the desire to renew German artistic expression.
His discovery by Julius Meier-Graefe, an influential art critic, opened the doors to the Marées-Gesellschaft, which published several books illustrated by him from 1918. This editorial recognition testifies to his mastery of graphic art and his ability to combine creation and distribution.
His first major exhibition at the Alfred Flechtheim Gallery in Berlin in 1922 established his national reputation. This Berlin recognition confirmed his status as a major artist on the German scene.
The Second World War caused irreparable losses: many graphic works were lost when printing blocks and plates were destroyed. This tragedy deprived German art of a significant part of its heritage.
From 1945 onwards, he worked as a freelance artist in Dresden, continuing his work in a transformed Germany. Despite the war's destruction, his work remains a valuable contribution to the history of 20th-century German graphic art.
