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John Elsas
John Elsas

John Elsas

German, 1851–1935
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John Elsas was a German painter. He spent his professional life as a businessman and stock broker and only began his intensive work as a visual artist in 1927, at the age of 76. Elsas' extensive oeuvre was acclaimed by critics around 1930; Afterwards it was forgotten for around 70 years.

Only a few documents provide evidence of John Elsas's CV. He arrived on July 6, 1851 as the second youngest of four children of his parents Baruch and Johanette (Jenny) Elsas, née Hanau, in the house Lit. 15 on Wollgraben 11 in Frankfurt's Old Town to the world. From 1857 to 1867 he attended the Philanthropin, the civic and Realschule the Israelite community. At that time the school was headed by Sigismund Stern.

After school, he completed commercial training in his father's company. On June 29, 1881 he married Pauline Manes (1857-1911), with whom he had three children: Karl (1882-1922), Fanny (1884-1966) and Irma (1887-1944). Karl died from the long-term effects of wounds from the First World War. Fanny married in Switzerland. Her second marriage was to Friedrich Raff in 1916. Elsas lived in the same household with his younger daughter Irma until his death.

The self-taught John Elsas discovered talent and a penchant for artistic work when he began working for his two grandchildren at the age of almost 70 to produce illustrated letters, stories and verses containing general wisdom and educational advice. When a serious illness confined him to the house, he developed his special style: the combination of different techniques - watercolor, ink drawing, collage - on one sheet, mostly two- or four-line texts at the bottom of the picture, which he himself referred to as Knittelverse. Towards the end of the 1920s his works attracted attention in the galleries of various German cities as well as in Paris and Zurich benevolent interest, which increased his already unusual productivity. His last sheets, packaged by Irma Elsas in 1935, bore the numbers 25,000 – 25,025.

John Elsas, who had worked as a stockbroker for more than 40 years, died on June 5, 1935. He painted one of his watercolors in 1930 the text: “My whole life was a mistake / that’s when I became a painter and storyteller”. He was buried in the old Jewish cemetery on Rat-Beil-Straße in Frankfurt am Main.

131 items

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‘2 mal 2 ist jetzt 7 hier …’

‘2 mal 2 ist jetzt 7 hier …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Alma ich bin sehr gesund …’

‘Alma ich bin sehr gesund …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Auch hat einen Liebessinn …’

‘Auch hat einen Liebessinn …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Aus den Wolken kommt das Glück …’

‘Aus den Wolken kommt das Glück …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Beachte den Sinn der Farben nur …’

‘Beachte den Sinn der Farben nur …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Bei der Erbschaft war ich nicht begehrt …’

‘Bei der Erbschaft war ich nicht begehrt …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Bei Philippi wird man wiedersehen …’

‘Bei Philippi wird man wiedersehen …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Das Glück zu Dir ist sprungbereit …’

‘Das Glück zu Dir ist sprungbereit …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Den falschen Engel …’

‘Den falschen Engel …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Denket nicht an dummes Zeug …’

‘Denket nicht an dummes Zeug …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Der grösste Mann ist sehr klein …’

‘Der grösste Mann ist sehr klein …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Der vergötterte Menschenmann …’

‘Der vergötterte Menschenmann …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die da sagt …’

‘Die da sagt …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die dumme Frau ist immer gut …’

‘Die dumme Frau ist immer gut …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Hülle war war die Not und Pein …’

‘Die Hülle war war die Not und Pein …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Kleinen sucht ich auf allein …’

‘Die Kleinen sucht ich auf allein …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Mannsleut verstehen nicht ihr Glück …’

‘Die Mannsleut verstehen nicht ihr Glück …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Mutter sagt zu ihrem Sohn …’

‘Die Mutter sagt zu ihrem Sohn …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Schönheit habe ich gepachtet …’

‘Die Schönheit habe ich gepachtet …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Sonne, die das Gute schafft …’

‘Die Sonne, die das Gute schafft …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Die Wissenschaft der Börse …’

‘Die Wissenschaft der Börse …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Du meinst, du hättest ein eigenes Haus …’

‘Du meinst, du hättest ein eigenes Haus …’ (1930)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Durch Nehmen und durch Geben …’

‘Durch Nehmen und durch Geben …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Ein Gelehrter in der Welt …’

‘Ein Gelehrter in der Welt …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Eine Frau zu der Anderen spricht …’

‘Eine Frau zu der Anderen spricht …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Eine Mutter, die drei Kinder hat …’

‘Eine Mutter, die drei Kinder hat …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Er ist immer übereilt …’

‘Er ist immer übereilt …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Er stammt aus Abesinion …’

‘Er stammt aus Abesinion …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Er weiss genau was sich schickt …’

‘Er weiss genau was sich schickt …’ (1932)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
‘Erscheinung ist doch alles nur …’

‘Erscheinung ist doch alles nur …’ (1931)

John Elsas (German, 1851–1935)
Illustration
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