A Life in Art and Illustration
Adolf Emil Hering was a German painter and illustrator. He studied at the Kunstakademie Königsberg from 1881 to 1885 under Carl Steffeck. His professional career included creating altar paintings for churches in Rauschen and Rößel, as well as murals for the large hall of the Stadtmissionshaus in Königsberg. From 1899, Hering was active in Berlin, where he maintained an atelier on Lützowstraße. His diverse body of work involved various commissions, such as book illustrations, illustrations for Die Gartenlaube, and designs for postcards.
Notable Works and Themes
Hering's artistic output includes several notable pieces, such as The Farewell (1913) and Königsberg, soldier saying farewell to his family. One of his most significant paintings is Der Tod und das Mädchen (1900), an oil on canvas depicting Death approaching a girl to catch her in his arms. In this work, Death's face is veiled to avoid causing fear, and the scene is characterized by a peaceful and touching expression. The composition features symbolic elements, such as a falling flower slipping from the girl's hands and dark clouds moving before white clouds in the sky. Other works attributed to him include Heldentod der elf Schillschen Offiziere vor Wesel, Am Abend, and Ingeborg.
