Gustav Rehberger
| Gustav Rehberger | |
|---|---|
 Rehberger self-portrait, 1953 | |
| Born |
1910 Riedlingsdorf, Austria |
| Died |
1995 (aged 84–85) New York, NY |
| Nationality | Austrian-born American |
| Known for | Painter, Draftsman, Illustrator, Designer, Muralist, Art Educator |
Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995) was an Austrian-born American painter, draftsman, illustrator, designer, muralist, and art educator.
Rehberger was born in Riedlingsdorf, Austria in 1910. In 1923 at the age of 13 he emigrated to Chicago, United States and by the age of 14 won a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. During the Great Depression he worked as a graphic and industrial designer and illustrator and also did some sculptures. When World War II began, he served in the US Air Force. After the war, he moved into a studio at the Carnegie Hall in New York City. Later, he began teaching composition, figure drawing and painting across the street at the Art Students League from 1972 until his death in 1995.
Biography
A modern Renaissance man, he was an artist of exceptional natural capacity for creative and original conceptions and unparalleled versatility. Internationally acclaimed, Gustav Rehberger was properly called a "volcanic expressionist." And so he was. Whether working in pencil, pen, gouache or oil, his uncompromising individualism was glaringly evident. Every line, every stroke was charged with a continous flow of activity; whirling, driving--a blaze of tempests, turbulence, exciting commotion when one would expect the subject to leap off the paper or canvas."
This chromatic fury, however, was not born of sheer imagination. Living images of his childhood, be it a raging flood, a violent storm, overturned wagon or horses on a rampage - all eruptive violence - made such an indelible impression on young Rehberger that throughout his professional career these mental treasures triumphed as a viable source of inspiration.
Gustav Rehberger died in New York City on July 22, 1995. He was 85 years old. Although he was best known for his towering achievements, his drawings and paintings of the human figure, of equestrian and horse subjects and apocalyptic themes, his religious works, of which he made many, were marked by intense reverence - treated by the brush of an artist who truly believed in the majesty of God.
Gustav Rehberger was born in Riedlingsdorf, Austria the second of Elizabeth and Josef Rehberger's three children. Fame came early to Gustav Rehberger. Drawing from inner compulsion, he was a celebrity by the age of four. As a school boy his drawings were greatly admired and drew honeyed words of praise from his teachers.
In 1923 Gustav came to the United States with his family. They settled in Chicago. His career in the world of art took off at once. The gifted Austrian was fourteen years old when Chicago newspapers carried such banner headlines as "Immigrant boy in the United States one year wins scholarship" and "Austrian school-boy ice artist wins chance for career."
Gustav Rehberger's meteoric career literally began with a cake of ice, a large cake. In Chicago's Mozart School playground, on the skating rink, the new arrival painted a landscape that showed snow-capped mountains, green forests, vegetation - all reflected in a still mountain lake - memories, of course, of his beloved Austria. Following a meeting of the playground's directors, Gustav's amazing talent was determined worthy of a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. Within a year he was a awarded a second scholarship, to Art Instruction Schools of Minneapolis.
At fifteen Gustav Rehberger won first price in a national contest and another competition in Chicago. This latter work so overwhelmed the judges that they requested he re-draw the picture in their presence to prove he actually made the original drawing.
With the onset of the Depression circumstances compelled Gustav to refuse two college scholarships. During those lean years his father was unemployed and without hesitation Gustav assumed the role of bread winner. Although still in his teens young Rehberger was offered more work that he could handle. With uncommon adaptability he did lettering, typography, graphic design, industrial design, illustration, and even some sculptures. He sketched and painted whenever he found time. his distinctive style soon came to the attention of collectors and visitors to national museums and other juried exhibitions.
After his military service, where he served as an artist in the United States Air Force, proving his love and loyalty to his adoptive country and fellow G.I.'s, Gustav settled in New York, where upon establishing a studio in Carnegie Hall he began doing commissioned work and independent painting.
Until his death in July 1995, Rehberger taught portrait painting, composition, figure drawing, and figure painting at the Art Student's League in New York, where he became a living legend, the absolute idol of those he taught. If ever his students wondered why Rehberger's art was distinguished by powerful structural composition, they soon learned that by abandoning the sacrosanct rules of classical tradition to follow his own moods and whims he remained distinctively Rehberger.
Career
From 1929 to 1931 he worked as art director at the Reuben H. Donnelly Corporation. During the war from 1943 to 1945 he worked as an illustrator and from 1942 to 1946 did two murals for the Bonds for Us, Bombs for Them campaign which were displayed at the Chicago Union Station.[2]
Starting from 1948 subway poster titled New York, Rehberger ventured into a commercial art business. From 1948 to 170 he did editorial illustrations for such magazines as Coronet, Collier's, Esquire and True. In 1953 he made a Regal Shoe Company ad and for four years afterword worked for Sheraton Hotels as an advertiser. In 1958 he made six paintings of The Marlboro Man for Philip Morris Inc. and by 1961 did an ad for the Distillers Company. For ten years he did television advertising. From 1956 to September 1, 1966 he did such ads as Nightmare in Red for the Armstrong Circle Theatre, Sgt. York for the Schaefer Award Theatre and Coming at You for the Australian Football League.[2]
Starting from 1954 Rehberger participated in numerous motion picture promos such as the Elephant Walk and The Command. In 1956 he did three promotions for movies including Helen of Troy, Moby Dick and The Animal World. He did another three promotions in 1958 including The Old Man and the Sea, The Deep Six and The Defiant Ones. A year later he continued, making another set of three to the following films: Solomon and Sheba, Pork Chop Hill and a movie about John Paul Jones. In 1960 he made three promos again to such films as David and Bathsheba, Hannibal and Under Ten Flags. By 1961, his promotions began to appear less, during which year he made only two: one was for the One-Eyed Jacks while the other was The White Warrior. From 1962 to 1965 he would make only promotion a year; during those times Rehberger did such advertisements of such films as the Pressure Point, the Cheyenne Autumn and the Major Dundee, ending his career as an advertiser with a promo to a film called Leadbelly in 1976. In 1970 he appeared on the Joe Franklin Show and on channel 3 and 7 Eye Witness News in 1971 and 1983 respectively. In 1987 he did an interview with AT&T which was the only one he decided to do.[2]
Education
| 1924-1934 | The Art Institute of Chicago, Scholarship |
| 1926-1928 | The Art Instruction Schools of Minneapolis, Scholarship |
| 1927-1929 | Carl Schurz High School, Chicago, IL |
Selected Shows
Solo Shows
| 1993 | Open Studio in Carnegie Hall: Rehberger Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings, Innovations (Nov. 9-27) |
| 1992 | Carnegie Hall Museum Benefit: "The Spirit of Beethoven" (Exhibition & Art & Music Performance) |
| 1992 | Pompeii Museum, Monica North Galleries, "The Spirit of the Horse" Saratoga Springs, NY |
| 1991 | Snug Harbor Cultural Center (a major solo exhibition & Art & Music Performance), Staten Island, NY |
| 1977 | Jacques Seligmann Gallery, NYC |
| 1971 | Wickersham Gallery, Paintings and Drawings for Beethoven’s Bicentennial, NYC |
| 1967 | Illusions One Art Gallery, Englewood, NJ (May 23 – May 28, 1967) |
| 1967 | The Little Gallery - Wyoming Valley Art League, Wilkes-Barre, PA (Oct. 14 – Oct. 28, 1967) |
| 1967 | National Arts Club - Expo '67, Montreal, Canada |
| 1965 | Society of Illustrators, NYC – Fine Art: Paintings & Drawings (Dec. 29 – Jan. 15, 1965) |
| 1965 | Old Mill Art Center of the Adirondacks, Elizabethtown, NY (July 1965) |
| 1957 | Society of Illustrators, NYC – Show arranged by Everywoman’s Magazine (Sept. 27 - Oct. 16, 1957) |
| 1953 | Hampshire House, NYC “Metal at Work” for Continental Copper & Steel Industries (Jan. 1953) |
| 1950 | Stevens-Gross Galleries, Chicago, IL (Feb. 7 - Mar. 5, 1950) |
| 1950 | Oshkosh Public Museum, “The Story of Creation” City of Oshkosh, WI (Jan. 1950) |
| 1940 | North Canton Library, North Canton, OH |
Group Shows
| 2003 | The Old Mill Art Colony 1932-1967 Open House, Elizabethtown, NY |
| 1993 | "The League at the Cape" - Provincetown Art Association & Museum, Provincetown, MA |
| 1972-1993 | Pastel Society of America, NYC |
| 1984 | Knickerbocker Artists, NYC |
| 1979-1990 | Hensley Gallery of the Southwest, Taos, NM |
| 1987 | Museum Tour of Master Pastelists - Pastel Society of America, NYC |
| 1985 | Abelle Gallery, Princeton, NJ |
| 1983 | The Oldfield Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 1980 | American Academy of Taos, NM |
| 1979 | Omeara Gallery, Santa Fe, NM |
| 1976 | "200 Years of American Illustration” – arranged by Society of Illustrators at NY Historical Society Museum |
| 1969 | National Invitational Drawing Exhibition, Oklahoma Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, OK |
| 1964 | “Paintings of the Adirondacks” – Old Mill Adirondack Art Center Gallery, Elizabethtown, NY |
| 1959 | Marino Art Galleries, NYC (March 20-April 17) – “Religious Expressionists” |
| 1955-1981 | Allied Artists of America, NYC (1965 Annual Exhibition: “The Adirondacks”) |
| 1954 | National Society of Painters in Casein, NYC |
| 1954, 1955 | National Exhibition of Advertising & Editorial Art & Design, The Art Directors Club, NYC |
| 1948, 1950, 1952, 1956, 1959 | National Academy of Design, NYC |
| American Water Color Society, NYC | |
| 1946 | American Exhibition Watercolors & Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago (“Horse on Gesso”) |
| 1943 | Works by Artists of Chicago & Vicinity, Art Institute of Chicago (“There will always be Light”) |
| 1942 | Exhibition by Artists of Chicago & Vicinity, Art Institute of Chicago (“Reclining Nude” on loan) |
| 1942 | Exhibition of Advertising Art, Art Directors Club of Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago |
| 1941 | International Water Color Exhibition, Art Institute of Chicago (“Beethovia”) |
| 1941 | Annual Exhibition of Watercolors by American Artists, Art Institute of Chicago (“Beethovia”) |
| 1938 | The Society of Typographic Arts, Chicago, IL |
Movies and Productions
| 1953 | “THE STRANGER WORE A GUN” Columbia (Randolph Scott & Claire Trevor) |
| 1954 | “ELEPHANT WALK” Paramount (Elizabeth Taylor & Peter Finch) |
| 1954 | “THE COMMAND” Warner Bros. (Guy Madison & Joan Weldon) |
| 1955 | “GIGANTIS – THE FIRE MONSTER” Warner Bros. |
| 1956 | “HELEN of TROY” Warner Bros. (Rossana Podesta & Jack Sernas) |
| 1956 | “NIGHTMARE in RED” Armstrong Circle Theatre, WNBC-TV |
| 1956 | “THE ANIMAL WORLD” Warner Bros. |
| 1956 | “MOBY DICK” Warner Bros. (Gregory Peck) |
| 1957 | “THE BLACK SCORPION” Warner Bros. |
| 1958 | “THE DEEP SIX” Warner Bros. (Alan Ladd) |
| 1958 | “THE DEFIANT ONES” United Artists (Tony Curtis & Sidney Poitier) |
| 1958 | “THE OLD MAN and THE SEA” Warner Bros. (Spencer Tracy) |
| 1959 | “SOLOMON and SHEBA” United Artists (Yul Brenner & Gina Lollobrigida) |
| 1959 | “PORK CHOP HILL” United Artists (Gregory Peck) |
| 1959 | “JOHN PAUL JONES” Warner Bros. (Robert Stack & Marisa Pavan) |
| 1959 | “SGT. YORK” Schaefer Award Theatre, WCBS-TV (Gary Cooper) |
| 1959 | “THE HANGING TREE” Warner Bros. (Gary Cooper, Maria Schell & Karl Malden) |
| 1960 | “HANNIBAL” Warner Bros. (Victor Mature) |
| 1960 | “DAVID and BATHSHEBA” 20th Century Fox (Gregory Peck & Susan Haywood) |
| 1960 | “THE BRAMBLE BUSH” Warner Bros. (Richard Burton & Barbara Rush) |
| 1960 | “UNDER TEN FLAGS” Paramount (Van Heflin & Charles Laughton) |
| 1960 | “DESIRE IN THE DUST” 20th Century Fox (Raymond Burr & Martha Hyer) |
| 1961 | “ONE-EYED JACKS” (Marlon Brando) Paramount did not use illustration. |
| 1961 | “THE WHITE WARRIOR” Warner Bros. (Steve Reeves as Hercules) |
| 1961 | “MISTY” 20th Century-Fox (David Ladd & Arthur O’Connell) |
| 1962 | “PRESSURE POINT” United Artists (Sidney Poitier & Bobby Darin) |
| 1964 | “CHEYENNE AUTUMN” Warner Bros. (Richard Widmark & Carroll Baker) |
| 1965 | “MAJOR DUNDEE” Columbia Pictures (Charlton Heston & Richard Harris) |
| 1966 | “I SPY” WNBC-TV (Robert Culp & Bill Cosby) |
| 1976 | “LEADBELLY” Paramount Pictures, Film by Gordon Parks (Roger E. Mosley) |
Memberships
| The Art Students League of New York |
| Pastel Society of America, NYC (One of the founders and first vice president. Designed the original logo that was used from 1973 until 2005 and was a member of the Advisory Board.) – 1973 |
| American Academy of Taos, New Mexico – 1980 |
| Audubon Artists, NYC – 1953 |
| Allied Artists of America, NYC – 1972 |
| The Society of Typographic Arts (STA), Chicago, IL - 1936 |
| The Society of Illustrators (SI), NYC |
| “27 Chicago Designers” (a founding member) – 1936 – 1943 |
Selected Awards
Fine Arts Awards
| 1993 | Illinois Academy of Fine Arts: IAFA Awards '93 Nominee |
| 1988 | Elected "The 1988 Honoree" to The Hall of Fame, Pastel Society of America |
| 1985 | Popular Vote Award, Pastel Society of America (“Approaching Storm”- 64x43) |
| 1984 | The Marie Devor Memorial Award, Pastel Society of America (“Valiant Spirit” – 11x14) |
| 1984 | Elected a "Master Pastelist" - Pastel Society of America |
| 1984 | Knickerbocker Artists' Award (“Wild Spirit”) |
| 1982 | Lever House Award - Pastel Society of America |
| 1981 | “Exceptional Merit” - Pastel Society of America |
| 1981 | Dr. Leonard Cammer Memorial Award, Pastel Society of America (“Half-draped Nude”- 36x22) |
| 1979 | Board of Directors Award, Pastel Society of America (“Rendezvous”) |
| 1976 | “Best Figure” - Tiro A. Segno Foundation Award, Pastel Society of America |
| 1974 | Paul Puzinas Memorial Prize for Oil Painting, Allied Artists of America (“Genesis”- 48x38) |
| 1966 | Minnie R. Stern Medal for Oil Painting, 24th Annual Exhibition, Audubon Artists (“Apprehension”) |
| 1948 | Most Creative Painting Award for Oil, 7th Annual Exhibition Audubon Artists (“The Deluge”) |
| 1925 | Four First Prizes and one Third Prize, Boys Week Exposition at the Navy Pier, Chicago, IL |
Illustration Awards
| 1955 | National Exhibition of Advertising & Editorial Art & Design, The Art Directors Club of New York City |
| 1954 | National Exhibition of Advertising & Editorial Art & Design, The Art Directors Club of New York City |
| 1942 | Exhibition of Advertising Art, Art Directors Club of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago |
| 1938 | Society of Typographic Arts, Chicago, IL |
References
- ↑ Julie Charles (1996). "Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995)" 6 (4). Austria Kultur.
- 1 2 3 "Gustav Rehberger, American (1910–1995)". RoGallery. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
Ro Gallery
|