Gert Gagelmann

Maler und Graphiker + 18 Jahr

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Just yesterday I found this preliminary sketch (shown on the left) on an art auction site identifying it as the work of Gert Gagelmann. The site listed the drawing as having been done in the 1940-1950 timeframe.

I went searching through my image collection and there it was, Voilá! The finished work closely matching the sketch, and virtually confirming Gagelmann as the artist of all those unsigned erotic watercolors! As is seen above, the final version is modified a bit, but those hips!!!! are a perfect match.

Recently other erotic sketches attributed to Gagelmann are appearing on art auction sites. If authentic, these drawings suggest he continued creating art in this genre throughout his career. Hopefully more confirmed examples of his erotic sketches and completed works will come to light!

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Gert Gagelmann was a graduate of the Reimann School for Arts and Crafts (Die Reimann-Schule in Berlin und London 1902-1943). Which was a Jewish company for international art and design training until its destruction by the Hitler regime.

As explained in the English newspaper clipping above, the school was forced to close and move to London. This quote from the US Holocaust Museum, gives further explanation:

“Joseph Goebbels was the Nazis’ leading propagandist.  After the Nazi takeover of power in 1933, he also headed the ministry of culture and led the campaign to drive Jews out of journalism, cinema and the performing arts.

“Aryanization” (in German, Arisierung) refers to the transfer of Jewish-owned property to non-Jews in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. It aimed to transfer Jewish-owned economic enterprises to “Aryan,” that is, non-Jewish ownership.”

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This Gagelmann print was offered for sale in an on-line auction. As is the case as I believe with all of his erotic works, it was unsigned. On the reverse side of each of the two watercolors, #10 and #12, it had these words written in pencil. The Google translate app comes up with "Sovasion," but it isn't a word in English, French, or German that I can find. Anyone have any ideas of the correct meaning?

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This one of the many erotic watercolors, unsigned but which may be attributed to Herr Gagelmann. This example illustrates elites of 1930s Germany shopping for enema paraphernalia. The term klismaphilia was coined in 1973 by Joanne Denko, an early investigator in this field, concerning enema as a sexual preference.

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This wonderfully clear photo (c.1900) is of Halle, Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt), Deutschland, where Gerhard Georg August Gagelmann was born, 24 Apr 1902.  

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In the Nr. 7, 1931, G. Gagelmann cover of Przegląd Mody (Polish Modenschau), we see the white bangle. These bracelets could be meant to be ivory a material both available and affordable for the wealthy elite. However, ‘Bakelite’ was a very popular synthetic material of that era. Coco Channel and Elsa Schiaparelli used it for their costume jewelry collections. Iconic of the period: the Nazis used Bakelite for pistol grips, machinegun stocks, field telephones, and a myriad of applications.  

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Many similar props used in Gagelmann's magazine illustrations are also found in the erotic watercolors.

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Technique and style comparison

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The erotic works of Gert Gagelmann have long been wrongly attributed and plagiarized under the name of ‘Julie Delcourt.’ I recently discovered the “Camille” website, offering compelling proofs of Herr Gagelmann as the artist creating the well-known, erotic and enema-themed watercolors.

The links to Camille’s pages are given here;  https://www.camillemm.com/julie-delcourt-rumeur-curiosa/  https://www.camillemm.com/delcourt-gaglemann/ They offer comparisons of Gagelmann’s style and techniques with examples from the erotic watercolor series, with his known examples from the WWII German postcard series, “Frauen Schaffen fur Euch,” (Women Working for You). 

I was following a similar approach in my own research before the COVID pandemic. I used examples of Herr Gagelmann’s magazine illustrations obtained through the assistance of the ‘Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin’ (Berlin City Library). Another main source, used with permission, was from Herr Martin Korsitzke’s artdeco-boulevard.de (Art Deco Boulevard). His examples were from the 1930s editions of “Modenschau” magazine. Herr Korsitzke also suggested I check with the Polish National Library as a source for “Przegląd Mody,” the Polish editions of “Fashion Show” magazine.

These known and signed illustrations were compared to erotic/enema-themed art. In many examples where Gagelmann uses similar props in his compositions. One of the key “tells” pointed out by the “Pillowbook Girl” on her site, was Gagelmann’s use of white bracelets. These often worn singularly, or in pairs by the women and girls portrayed in the erotic art, the post card series, in one example on a Modenschau cover.    

Notice in the examples above the similarities with the women's faces, the handling of the hair shading, and the two white bangles each of them wears.

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“Enamels” by Gert Gagelmann

[I believe this article on page 105 of die Deutsche Elite, 1925, shows Herr Gagelmann was fine writer in addition to his artistic talents.  I hope I've adequately conveyed his eloquence in this translation.]

When one of those mystical Egyptian kings prepared a princely gift, he donated a magnificent vessel made of gold and enamel as his most valuable gift. The magic of this delicious smelting works was so strong that even queens chose the enamel for their favorite jewelry.

It’s remarkable how long it took for this singular technique to migrate to Western Europe. It took thousands of years to find its way. Only the masters of German goldsmithing in the 16th century discovered the infinite charm of enamel and created their most beautiful structures from the new material.

With a slight shiver of silent delight, I see the old enamel picture that I once found in a corner of the St. Stephen's Church in Vienna. It was a portrait of a holy woman. Rich, deep colors wrapped fervently with tender, lighter tones and piled up to glittering reflections that broke softly in the light of the church windows. The eyes of the saintly woman rested as if they were so special. That deep, gentle pair of eyes, who’s innermost being seemed to be embedded in the gold. That wan, barely flushed face, all pale opal framed with the brilliant abundance of her gold hair.

Nothing tangible, nothing realistic in the picture. All lines formed the language of a strict, almost somewhat stiff style. I stepped back from the picture, self-conscious. Later I came to understand the expression of the glass picture, which had received its strange hues through the melting of differently colored glasses.

How wrong we are to forget this extremely appealing technique so quickly. Only a few of our artists try to save this legacy of a brilliant time of high culture and full of mysticism into the gray of our time. – Will the beautiful women of our day once again make enamel their favorite jewelry like the queens of the long-destroyed royal city once did? –

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Women Working for You

This is the obverse of "Die Fernsprechbeamtin" Erich Gutjahr Bildverlag, publisher. It's my understanding that military personnel could send these cards without postage.

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"Die Fernsprechbeamtin"

"Frauen Schaffen für Euch" (Women Working for You) was a series of postcards, based on the work of several artists including Gert Gagelmann, and issued in Germany during WWII. His monogram in the lower right-hand corner shows a date of 1943, depicting telephone operators.

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This drawing by Gerd Gagelmann called "The Italian Girl" was found on a Polish art auction site. The artist's signature mark "Ga" with the date 10/38 is in the lower right-hand corner. During his career, he used a number of variations of this mark. His distinctive handling of her hair and highlights can be noted in his illustrations and especially the erotic watercolor produced.