Sprung, Hanns (1884-1948), Cigar-smoking officer, 1940

Hanns Sprung(1884 Koblenz - 1948 Bendorf), C igar-smoking officer , 1940. Pencil drawing mounted on cardboard, 16.6 cm x 16 cm, signed “HSprung” at the bottom center and dated 11/25/1940 at the top.

- Slightly darkened and with three adhesive marks

- Gone up in smoke -

With quick, confident strokes, Hanns Sprung sketches a young officer smoking an oversized cigar. The striking features of the stern profile, emphasized only by hints, are almost caricatured, especially since the officer sees nothing and, despite his sharp glasses, only the smoke from the cigar is in front of his eyes.

About the artist

Hanns Sprung received his artistic training at the academies in Düsseldorf and Karlsruhe, where he was a master student of Wilhelm Trübner, who introduced him to the art of Wilhelm Leibl, French modernism, and the works of Vincent van Gogh.

After returning from French captivity in 1920, Sprung became a defining figure in the Koblenz art scene. He participated in the founding of the Westmark Artists' Association and the artists' group “Das Boot.” In 1929, he joined the NSDAP and took over the management of the Koblenz Museum in 1933. In 1944, after his studio and numerous works were destroyed, he moved to Bendorf.

Sprung's work mainly comprises landscapes and portraits; a special feature is the Passion Altar in the Liebfrauenkirche in Koblenz. An art prize donated in his memory in 1974 no longer bears his name due to Sprung's role in National Socialism.