Sulamith Wülfing | Visionary painter

Sulamith Wülfing (1901-1989) was a German painter and illustrator. Her ethereal, enigmatic works depict fairy tales or mystical subjects.Born in Elberfeld, Rhine Province to Theosophist parents Karl and Hedwig Wülfing, as a child Sulamith had visions of angels, fairies, gnomes, and nature spirits. She first began drawing these creatures at the age of four. The visions continued throughout her life, and directly inspired her paintings.

Sulamith Wülfing graduated from the Art College in Wuppertal in 1921, and in 1932 married Otto Schulze, a professor at the Art College. Together, they created the Sulamith Wülfing Verlag (publishing house).

During World War II, the industrial area around Wuppertal became a bombing target, and Wülfing's house was destroyed, along with many of her paintings.

Her family became separated during the war, when she received a false report of her husband's death on the Russian front and fled to France with her only child; they were later reunited. Wülfing considered the religious teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti her spiritual mentor and guide, and believed his influence helped her through difficult times. Wülfing died in 1989 at the age of 88.

Art

The mood of Wülfing's work ranges from serene to wistful to deeply melancholic.

The subject is often mysterious, with narrative elements at whose meaning the observer can only guess - exactly as the artist intended.

In her own words: "To people attuned to my compositions, they may well be mirrors of their own experiences. It is because of this that I have left the explanation of the drawings completely to the viewer, so that they are not bound by my interpretation of what each picture should be".

Characteristic Wülfing paintings feature slender, fair-haired, fay young women and men, with large eyes and sad or thoughtful faces, wearing elaborately patterned gowns or robes, and sometimes veils, snoods, wreaths, or jeweled crowns.

These maidens are placed in outdoor settings of twilight woods and moonlit meadows, or in castle-like interiors with vaguely Gothic detail (stone arches, stained glass windows, carved throne-like chairs). Some of the patterns on the clothing and furniture resemble Norse and Celtic knotwork.

Brambles and thorns, moths and butterflies, feathers, leaves, and delicately rendered flowers add organic richness, texture and complexity to the images.

Many of the paintings have a "fairytale" feel, with grinning dwarves and gnomes, knights in armor, dragons, and the like. Some have a holiday focus, usually Christmas or Easter.

Several appear to depict the Annunciation. A black and white series portrays the Stations of the Cross. In the more spiritually-themed images, radiant winged beings appear to give comfort or counsel to troubled humans.

Several of the paintings touch upon the theme of pregnancy and motherhood, while others echo the experience of loneliness and separation, and still others are indicative of love and fulfillment.

Wulfing said this about her work: "My drawings are a visual representation of my deepest feelings - pleasure, fear, sorrow, happiness, humor. For me it is not a matter of creating illustrations to fit nursery rhyme themes. My ideas come to me from many sources, and in such harmony with my personal experiences that I can turn them into these fairy compositions. My Angels are my consolers, leaders, companions, guards. And dwarfs often show me the small ironies and other things to make me smile even in life's most awesome events".

While she was best known for her work in painting and illustration, she also did some work in collages and tapestry.

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Sulamith Wülfing è stato un artista ed illustratore Tedesco. L'autore Michael Folz spiega che l'arte di Wülfing era un "riflesso realistico del mondo in cui vive: ha visto gli angeli e le creature elfiche dei suoi dipinti per tutta la vita".

L'atmosfera del lavoro di Wülfing varia da serena a malinconica a profondamente malinconica. Il soggetto è spesso misterioso, con elementi narrativi il cui significato l'osservatore può solo indovinare, esattamente come intendeva l'artista.

Nelle sue stesse parole: "Per le persone in sintonia con le mie composizioni, potrebbero essere specchi delle loro stesse esperienze. È per questo motivo che ho lasciato completamente la spiegazione dei disegni allo spettatore, in modo che non siano vincolati dal mio interpretazione di ciò che dovrebbe essere ogni immagine".

I caratteristici dipinti di Wülfing raffigurano giovani donne e uomini snelli, biondi, fay, con grandi occhi e facce tristi o pensierose, che indossano abiti o abiti a motivi elaborati e talvolta veli, snood, ghirlande o corone ingioiellate. Queste fanciulle sono collocate in ambienti esterni di boschi crepuscolari e prati illuminati dalla luna, o in interni simili a castelli con dettagli vagamente gotici (archi in pietra, vetrate colorate, sedie intagliate a forma di trono).

Alcuni dei motivi sugli abiti e sui mobili ricordano i nodi norreni e celtici. Rovi e spine, falene e farfalle, piume, foglie e fiori delicatamente resi aggiungono ricchezza organica, consistenza e complessità alle immagini.

Molti dei dipinti hanno un'atmosfera "fiabesca", con nani e gnomi sorridenti, cavalieri in armatura, draghi e simili. Alcuni hanno un focus sulle vacanze, di solito Natale o Pasqua.

Molti sembrano raffigurare l'Annunciazione. Una serie in bianco e nero ritrae le stazioni della Via Crucis. Nelle immagini a tema più spirituale, gli esseri alati radiosi sembrano dare conforto o consigli agli esseri umani in difficoltà.

Molti dei dipinti toccano il tema della gravidanza e della maternità, mentre altri fanno eco all'esperienza della solitudine e della separazione, ed altri ancora sono indicativi di amore e appagamento.

Wulfing ha detto questo riguardo al suo lavoro: "I miei disegni sono una rappresentazione visiva dei miei sentimenti più profondi: piacere, paura, dolore, felicità, umorismo. Per me non si tratta di creare illustrazioni che si adattino ai temi delle filastrocche. Le mie idee vengono da me da molte fonti, e in tale armonia con le mie esperienze personali che posso trasformarle in queste composizioni fatate. I miei angeli sono i miei consolatori, leader, compagni, guardie. E i nani spesso mi mostrano le piccole ironie e altre cose per farmi sorridere negli eventi più impressionanti della vita".

Sebbene fosse meglio conosciuta per il suo lavoro nella pittura e nell'illustrazione, ha anche lavorato in collage ed arazzi.

Sulamith Wülfing was a German artist and illustrator. Her ethereal, enigmatic works depict fairy tales or mystical subjects.Born in Elberfeld, Rhine Province to Theosophist parents Karl and Hedwig Wülfing, as a child Sulamith had visions of angels, fairies, gnomes, and nature spirits. She first began drawing these creatures at the age of four.

The visions continued throughout her life, and directly inspired her paintings. Sulamith Wülfing graduated from the Art College in Wuppertal in 1921, and in 1932 married Otto Schulze, a professor at the Art College. Together, they created the Sulamith Wülfing Verlag (publishing house). During World War II, the industrial area around Wuppertal became a bombing target, and Wülfing's house was destroyed, along with many of her paintings.

Her family became separated during the war, when she received a false report of her husband's death on the Russian front and fled to France with her only child; they were later reunited. Wülfing considered the religious teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti her spiritual mentor and guide, and believed his influence helped her through difficult times.

Wülfing died in 1989 at the age of 88.