Emil Schumacher

Emil Schumacher was a German painter. He was a representative of abstract expressionism in post-war Germany. He remains one of the most prized exponents of Abstract Expressionism in Germany. Emil Schumacher attended secondary school in Hagen, Germany, from 1926 to 1931. When he was an 18-year-old teen, he went on a four-week-long bicycle tour to Paris, France. Between 1932 and 1935 Schumacher studied graphic design at the School of Applied Arts in Dortmund (now Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts), having an intention to become an advertising graphic designer.

Schumacher started working as a freelance artist in 1935 and didn't participate in any exhibitions. In 1939 he was appointed technical draftsman in an armaments company, the Akkumulatoren-Werke of Hagen. After World War II, Emil Schumacher again became an independent artist. In 1947 he participated in the exhibition Junge Künstler Zwischen Ruhr und Weser in Recklinghausen. As a result of the exhibit the artist’s association Junger Westen was formed. The group aimed to restore the connection to Modern Art, which was lost in the time of the Third Reich.

The style of Emil Schumacher's work changed drastically in the year 1950. He abandoned painting objects and turned towards the expressive power of painting alone. Colour itself became the pivotal element of his artworks. Abstraction became a typical aspect of his personal style.