Erwin Aichele
| Erwin Aichele | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 May 1887 Germany |
| Died | 29 June 1974 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Nationality | German |
| Children | Two sons, one daughter |
Erwin Aichele (born 1887 - died 1974) was a German painter and animal artist from Baden-Württemberg in Southern Germany.
His life and work was the subject of a 1988 monograph, Der Tiermaler Erwin Aichele by Hans Schöner
Erwin Aichele studied fine art at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe. He continued his studies in the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he was taught by the celebrated animal artist Heinrich von Zügel. In 1911, Aichele passed his art teaching diploma and started work at the jewelry school in Pforzheim, Southern Germany.
In 1915, Erwin Aichele joined the army and was sent to France as part of a communications team. His talent in draughtsmanship quickly came to the notice of his commanding officer and he was given the official function of war artist.
Most of his surviving war drawings were executed in 1916 when, as part of the Third Battery FAR 185, he was stationed in Liry in Champagne. In June 1916, the troops moved to northern France.
Aichele’s drawings depict places such as Achery, Doingt, Laon, Vraignes, Soissons. On each drawing he made a precise note of place, time and subject. His preferred media included pencil, ink, charcoal and coloured pastels. His drawings are executed with considerable skill in the tradition of the nineteenth century. They depict daily life: military convoys, soldiers’ billets and views of villages, as well as ruins and landscapes.
Although he witnessed the horrors of war, little of this appears in his drawings. They are dispassionate and betray no feelings of hate, horror or despair. Aichele’s last drawing in France is dated May 1918, shortly before a wound and nervous breakdown caused him to collapse into a coma. He was transferred to a military hospital in Polzen, Pomerania, and started drawing again during his convalescence. He returned home on the signature of the armistice.
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