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Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 5
 

[ Alien at Ambleside ] [ Dr G A Johnston ] [ Merz Lives On ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt ] [ KS - An Appreciation by Russell Mills ] [ Newspaper Collages ] [ Wood on Wood ]
[ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 2 ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 3 ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 4 ]  [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 5 ]  [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 6 ] [ Kurt Schwitters Roadshow ] [ El Lissitsky ]

 

Walter Goldschmidt was miraculously released by the Nazis from Buchenwald Concentration Camp in 1939 and escaped to England in July. Like all other German refugees at the time, he was interned.  He was in the Isle of Man at the same time and place as Kurt Schwitters. We can only guess that as he was very interested in art these two men must have become very friendly.  This sketch of Walter is by an unknown artist and the Armitt has on display two other sketches of him; he obviously sat as a model for an artists' workshop.  In his collection were the four items shown here, which he obtained from Kurt Schwitters at Hutchinson Camp.

 
     
A probably unique small abstract is on that most unusual of artists' canvas - an asbestos tile, no doubt "found" somewhere at Hutchinson Camp.

 

 

There are two pencil studies of spring flowers with annotations in Norwegian, one signed and dated 30/4/40...

     

... and a pencil sketch of a harbour.  The harbour could be Douglas in the Isle of Man, but the late Dr Klaus Hinrichsen, who was interned with KS, had a theory that it is of the burning town of Molde in Norway. 

"When Kurt reached Vestnes and looked across Romsdalsfiord to Molde, he was met with a terrifying sight.  The Germans had set the whole of Molde on fire." [Gwendolen Webster] 

If this theory is correct, the sketch is probably the only one by KS of the world at war.

 

 

[ Alien at Ambleside ] [ Dr G A Johnston ] [ Merz Lives On ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt ] [ KS - An Appreciation by Russell Mills ] [ Newspaper Collages ] [ Wood on Wood ]
[ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 2 ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 3 ] [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 4 ]  [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 5 ]  [ Kurt Schwitters at the Armitt 6 ] [ Kurt Schwitters Roadshow ] [ El Lissitsky ]

 

[ Home ] [ How to find us ] [ Links ]
[ Armitt Collection ] [ Local People ] [ Opening Times ] [ Museum Shop ] [ News & Exhibitions ] [ How You Can Help ] [ The Learning Zone ] [ Friends of the Armitt ] [ History of Ambleside ]