Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Born in Gnoien, Germany, Erich Wegner grew up in Rostock, where the atmosphere of the harbor left a lasting impression on his formative years. As a child, he spent much of his time around the docks, captivated by the sight of sailors, shipyard workers, and various vessels. While he initially harbored ambitions of becoming a seaman, his constant companionship with a sketchbook made his eventual calling as a painter inevitable. After serving as a soldier during the final year of the First World War, Wegner pursued formal training at the Kunstgewerbeschule Hannover under Fritz Burger-Mühlfeld. During his studies, he formed lasting friendships with fellow artists such as Ernst Thoms, Grethe Jürgens, Gerta Overbeck, Friedrich Busack, and Hans Mertens.
Artistic Evolution and Themes
Wegner's body of work is characterized by a diverse range of subjects and stylistic shifts. In the early 1920s, he produced a series of Mordbilder—depictions of murder—using various media including watercolor, black chalk, tempera, and ink. His work often captured the social realities of the 1920s, including street scenes, cabaret, tavern settings, and the struggles of unemployment and poverty. He also explored the life of the circus, though he noted that the clowns he encountered often lacked humor.
His later career saw significant transitions:
