HAP GRIESHABER

HAP Grieshaber: Basel Dance of Death with the dialogues from the medieval frieze.
With an epilogue by Rudolf Mayer. Dresden: VEB Verlag der Kunst, 1966. 39, VII, c. 120 pages. 44 x 36 cm. B.Z.V. 1966.1669.
The Dance of Death is the name given to pictures representing Death as a personified figure who dances with various groups of people - mostly of high status in secular or clerical society.

In 1965/66 the wood carver, printer and painter HAP Grieshaber (1909 - 1981) was inspired by the images of the Medieval Dance of Death in Basel to carve a version of his own in wood. Grieshaber kept close to his original in carving his woodcuts, but freed himself from the motifs as represented in the 15th Century:
“I take almost everything from the present day”. The templates for the German texts were made by Albert Kapr (1918 - 1995).

Grieshaber was a typesetter by trade, and studied calli-
graphy and book art in Stuttgart. He continued his studies in London and Paris and undertook long journeys to the Orient. Grieshaber began his work under the influence of Paul Klee and Lyonel Feininger and developed into a woodcut artist during the Post-Expressionist period. Between1955 and 1960 he taught at the Kunstakademie in Karlsruhe as successor to Ernst Heckel. His woodcuts became more colourful during this period; he turned more and more to Biblical and mythological themes. Characteristic features of Grieshaber’s oeuvre are the woodcut technique with the grain of the wood and wood engraving across the grain. This Dance of Death depicting 40 pairs of dancers - from the Pope to the artist - finally brought him worldwide fame.

The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe has put on a couple of exhibitions in his honour. H.A.P. Grieshaber was an Honorary Member of the Justus Brinckmann Gesellschaft.