Werner Drewes Works

WERNER DREWES

(1899-1985)

          Werner Drewes, painter, printmaker, and teacher was born in Canig, Germany in 1899.  His father, a Lutheran Minister, hoped he would become and architect but Werner chose the life of an artist. After he served on the front line in France during the war, Werner was admitted to the Bauhaus in 1921 where he studied under Klee, Itten, and Muche.  Later, he traveled through Europe to study such old masters as Tintoretto, Velasque, and El Greco. After marrying Margaret Schrobsdorff, they traveled throughout South America, North America, and Asia. 

         In 1930, Werner immigrated to New York City with his family. In New York City, despite the Depression, Werner joined other Bauhaus artists such as Mondrian and Feininger to make a living as an artist.  This group became the core of the American Abstract Artists group.  Werner taught at Columbia University, worked on the design of the 1939 Worlds Fair building, and had shows at the Museum of Modern Art, the Kleeman Gallery, and elsewhere.  In 1946, he accepted a tenured position at Washington University in St. Louis.  

        In his later years, he Moved to Virginia and continued to show at major galleries in Germany, Turkey, and in the United States.  The Smithsonian held a special show attributing his 65 years as a printmaker at the Museum for American Artists.