Schomer Lichtner -
(American, 1905-2006)
(click the above link for all images in the show)
According to David Gordon, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Schomer Lichtner (1905-2006) had a tremendous joie de vivre — joy of life — and expressed it in his art.
Schomer Lichter was nationally known for his whimsical paintings and sculptures of black- and white-patterned Holstein cows and elegant ballerina dancers. Lichtner also painted all sorts of combinations of beautiful women, flowers and country landscapes. James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, said that his art eventually “exploded into expressionistic design elements with bold, flat areas of color and high energy that anticipated Pop Art.” Auer went on to describe Lichtner’s work as full of “wit, vigor and virtuosity.”
As early as 1930, Lichtner’s work was shown at the prestigious Carnegie International Exhibition in New York and at museums throughout the Midwest. As a student, he was a protégé of another icon of 20th century American art, Gustave Moeller.
Lichtner and his wife, Ruth Grotenrath (1912-1988), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s “first couple of painting” and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. Lichtner’s impressive production, perseverance, longevity, and positive approach to his life and art made him and his work distinctive and much loved by his many admirers. His work is currently represented in collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the West Bend Museum, and in the collections of many individuals. Books on the lives and art work of both Lichtner and Grotenrath are in progress and it is anticipated that they will be published next year.
