Herber, Richard

Draughtsman, Painter

Born: 03.12.1899 in Biebrich am Rhein

died: 23.08.1974 in Alzey

Herber studied lithography at the Mainz School of Applied Arts (1919/20) and at the Städelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt am Main (1920-23). His incorruptible portraits brought him close to Otto Dix, George Grosz and Alexander Kanoldt, with whom Herber repeatedly exhibited together. He had to turn down offers from master studios in Karlsruhe and Dresden due to his lack of means.

In 1933, Herber was banned from exhibiting his work by the National Socialists. As a result, he was forced to work as a street sweeper and guard at Wiesbaden's North Cemetery and eked out a meagre existence. After completing his apprenticeship and journeyman's examination in painting at the age of 41, he taught trainees in Langenbielau, Silesia, from 1940 to 1944.

After the war, Herber pursued a vehemently dramatic style typical of the second generation of Expressionists. He received significant impulses, which he confidently transformed into something of his own, from the oeuvre of Alexej von Jawlensky, which he was familiar with, as well as from Edvard Munch and Emil Nolde. The gallery owner Hanna Bekker vom Rath tried to support the artist, but was unable to build on his promising beginnings.

Herber taught at the vocational school in Rüsselsheim until 1963. As its most prominent representative, he co-founded the Wiesbaden Artists' Group50.

He was laid to rest in the Biebrich cemetery.

Hildebrand, Alexander: From visual appearance to expressive formula. The Rhenish expressionist Richard Herber. In: Wiesbadener Leben 38/1989, H. 7, p. 32 f.; H.8, p. 32 f.; H.9, p. 26 ff.