Alfred Henry Maurer: Lost & Found

 Prowess in Paris

I discover Alfred Maurer (1897-1932) on the anniversary of his death, 4th August. You can see from his paintings that he was constantly exploring, experimenting & developing his art practice. But the strong thread of parental control ran through his life starting at age 16, when his father withdrew him from school to work in the family engraving & litho business. Nevertheless, he managed to get to leave N.Y. for Paris in 1897; met with Avant Garde artists; saw the work of Matisse & Picasso, and adopted the style of Les Fauvres ('Wild Beasts'), using strong colour and bold compositions, as well as Cubist techniques. (L) Self-Portrait, 1897

Early Style

He was doing well; winning medals, including Gold at the International Exposition in Munich, 1905. But the move from early realism to more abstract work drew harsh criticism from some.

Below: Carousel, 1901

(L) Jeane, 1904 (R) Woman in a Garden, 1907

Retreat and Defeat

Then, in 1914, the threat of war precipitated a hasty retreat to his parental home in N.Y. leaving behind over 200 paintings in his Paris studio. Daddy joined the ranks of the harsh critics, rubbishing his son's work and refusing to pay shipping to recover the work left behind. Confined to his one-bedroom cum studio he continued to make work, but not show anything for about 10 years, becoming more and more dispirited as his father would lash into whatever he was working on, taking the brush from his hand to 'improve' the work. In 1925, he discovered the landlord of his Paris studio had sold all 200+ of his paintings to cover back rent; 45 of which have turned up at various flea markets and junk shops since, but the majority have been lost entirely.

Below: House in a Landscape, 1912

(L) Head of a Girl, 1929.

Then a stroke of luck: a gallery owner bought all the artwork in his little bedsit studio, around 200! But again, some harsh criticism from art critics. Then a series of surgeries, and the need to recover. His father, aged 100, decided to show his son what a real artist could do - putting on an exhibition of his own work. When the father died, that same year, his son was not informed (perhaps purely because he was post-operative?); he discovered the news on reading about it in the newspaper. Already weakened and dispirited, his friend, Abstract Artist, Arthur Dove (of previous post!) noted he appeared to no longer wish to live. Sure enough, two weeks or so later, he hanged himself in the doorway of his little bedsit-studio.

Aftermath

I am left with So many questions, as those who are bereaved by suicide are; and a frustrated urge to lend support that he was evidently unable to avail himself of when needed. Could he not have raised money to ship the work home himself? Was he afraid of his father seeing it? Destroying it, physically or verbally? Why did he continue to stay at home? but, I recognize the paralyzing and debilitating aspect of living in the shadow of a dominating parent, and the knotted bind of long-term co-dependency. Such a sad loss of talent, peace, joy of art-making; and the much-needed inspiring, challenging influence of like-minded artists - a terrible loss all round; but I'm glad to have stumbled across his work now, and have this opportunity to connect in some small measure. It's time his lost works resurfaced....

Still Life with Pears, 1931