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LECHTER, Melchior - b. 1865 Münster, d. 1937 Raron, Switzerland - WGA

LECHTER, Melchior

(b. 1865 Münster, d. 1937 Raron, Switzerland)

German painter, book illustrator and applied art artist. Lechter studied glass painting in Münster and, from 1883 to 1895, attended the Academy of Art in Berlin. In 1895, he was introduced to Stefan George (1886-1968), who from now until 1907 commissioned him with the illustration of his books. In 1896 his first exhibition was staged at Gurlitt’s gallery and, in 1899, he was commissioned to design the wall decorations for the Pallenberg Hall in the Cologne Museum of Arts and Crafts (completed in 1902).

Lechter, whose work is influenced by William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites, mixed Jugendstil elements with mysterious symbols from George’s works. Alongside book illustrations and interior decors, he produced designs for glass paintings and executed drawings and pastels.

"Left wing of the "Pallenberg Window"
"Left wing of the "Pallenberg Window" by

"Left wing of the "Pallenberg Window"

The Pallenberg Window was donated by Jakob Pallenberg for the “Pallenberg Hall” of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Cologne. Produced by Melchior Lechter, it was awarded the Grand Prix as a “special total work of art in Art Nouveau style” at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900.

During World War II, the entire building of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, including the Pallenberg Hall, was destroyed on June 29, 1943 by a major Allied attack. Only one wing of the glass window, which is now on display in the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, Cologne, could be saved.

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"Stefan George: "Maximin. A memorial book" (cover)"
"Stefan George: "Maximin. A memorial book" (cover)" by

"Stefan George: "Maximin. A memorial book" (cover)"

The “Maximin. A memorial book”, edited by Stefan George, was published by Verlag Blätter f�r die Kunst, 1907, in 200 numbered copies. The double title with a portrait of Maximins (= Maximilian Kronberger) was based on a photograph by Stefan George; the book decorations are by Melchior Lechter.

The book was designed by Melchior Lechter and published by Verlag Blätter f�r die Kunst, Berlin, 1907.

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Birch Forest
Birch Forest by

Birch Forest

The painting is monogrammed (in ligature) and dated lower right.

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Maurice Maeterlinck: Der Schatz der Armen (title page)
Maurice Maeterlinck: Der Schatz der Armen (title page) by

Maurice Maeterlinck: Der Schatz der Armen (title page)

Le Tr�sor des humbles (English: The Treasure of the Humble; German: Der Schatz der Armen) is a collection of thirteen deeply reflective mystical essays by the Belgian Nobel Laureate Maurice Maeterlinck. The French original was published in 1896, German and English translations in 1898.

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Stefan George: Der Teppich des Lebens (1899)
Stefan George: Der Teppich des Lebens (1899) by

Stefan George: Der Teppich des Lebens (1899)

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Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (illustration)
Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (illustration) by

Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (illustration)

Der siebente Ring [The Seventh Ring] of 1907 is Stefan George’s largest collection of poetry. Organized in seven sections, with the number of poems in each section divisible by seven, the volume observes stringent rules of composition.

The book was designed by Melchior Lechter and published by Verlag Blätter f�r die Kunst, Berlin, 1907.

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Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (title page)
Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (title page) by

Stefan George: Der siebente Ring (title page)

Der siebente Ring [The Seventh Ring] of 1907 is Stefan George’s largest collection of poetry. Organized in seven sections, with the number of poems in each section divisible by seven, the volume observes stringent rules of composition.

The book was designed by Melchior Lechter and published by Verlag Blätter f�r die Kunst, Berlin, 1907.

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