Georg Tappert

Born. 20.10.1880 in Berlin
Died. 16.11.1957 in Berlin

German Painter, Expressionist

About the artist

Georg Tappert was born on 20 October 1880 in Berlin. He started his career as an apprentice tailor for his father but his interest in art led him to produce a few pieces of work during this time.

The president of the Berlin Secession, Max Liebermann, saw some of his work and wrote a letter of recommendation for Tappert allowing him to study at the Karlsruhe Academy in 1900.
In 1903/04 he worked as an assistant to Paul Schultze-Naumburg at his Burg Saaleck art school. Tappert stayed in Berlin and continued his work as a freelance painter and graphic artist. In 1905 His works were shown at an exhibition held by the German art dealer Paul Cassirer

In  1907, Tappert founded a private art school in Worpswede working there for two years before returning to Berlin and taking part in the Secession exhibitions. He continued his work as an art teacher at the “School for Free and Applied Art”.

He continued to work as a teacher at the Königliche Kunstschule and the Berlin-Wilmersdorfer Kunstgewerbeschule until he was called up for military service in 1915.

After serving in the army during World War I, he founded the “Novembergruppe” whose main focus was on new forms of popular art. At the age of 41, he was appointed professor of the State Art School. During this time, he married his former student Kathleen Bagot in 1919, unfortunately, she died young in 1925 at the age of 35.

In 1937, as with many other artists at that time, he was forbidden to continue his artistic work. After the war, his main focus was on the reconstruction of the College of Art Education continuing to teach there until 1953. At 70 he married his niece Annalise Friedrich, who had always been there for him during the war.
Georg Tappert died in Berlin on 17 November 1957.