ANTON

RÄDERSCHEIDT

1892 Cologne – 1970 Cologne

Anton Räderscheidt was a German painter and was part of the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement. He is a role model for many young artists because of the dynamic changes and transformations of his art through the years. Although he does show a certain degree of coherence, his works cannot be reduced to a single style. The reluctance of modern artists to focus on one style is often a display of a conscious decision or an expression of artistic freedom; however, in the case of Räderscheidt, it was a response to the external circumstances that continually forced him – both privately and artistically – to start over again and adapt to the changing conditions of life.

From 1910 he studied at the art school in Cologne and later at the art academy in Dusseldorf.

He was severely wounded during service in the First World War. After a short time as an art teacher he became a full time practicing artist in 1919 and founded the group ‘Stupid’ with Franz Wilhelm Seiwert, Heinrich Hoerle, Hans Arp, and Wilhelm Fick.

Cited as a degenerate artist by the National Socialists in the 1930s he fled to Paris and then to Switzerland and returned to Germany after the war where he died in 1970.

Much later, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Museum of the City of Cologne honoured his comprehensive artistic work by organising a retrospective.