Richard Seewald

Painter, graphic artist and writer

1889

Richard Seewald is born on 4 May in Arnswalde in the region of Neumark (then in Germany, today in Poland).

1909

After leaving secondary school he begins to study architecture at Munich Polytechnic. He gives up studying and makes a living from drawing caricatures for the magazines Die Jugend, Meggendorfer Blätter and Lustige Blätter.

1910

First trip to Ascona.

1911

First exhibition at the Galleria Thannhauser in Munich. Participation in the "Salon d'Automne" in Paris. He marries in London on 11 November.

1912

First oil paintings created on the island of Rab in Dalmatia. Participation in the "Salon d'Automne" in Paris.

1913

Participation at the first "Deutscher Herbstsalon "˜Der Sturm'" in Berlin. Exhibition at the "Neuer Kunstsalon" Dietzel in Munich with Marianne Werefkin. Member of the "Neue Sezession" in Munich and the "Deutscher Künstlerbund". Trips to Ascona and Corsica.

1914

Journey to southern France.

1916

Stay in Ticino.

1917

In Munich and Lower Bavaria.

1920

Group exhibition at the Julius Thannhauser Gallery in Munich.

1921

First illustrated book "Tiere und Landschaften".

1922

Trip to Italy at the invitation of Prince Massimo.

1923

Trips to Sicily and Tunis.

1924

Appointed a teacher at the "Kölner Werkschulen". Buys land in Ronco.

1929

Conversion to Catholicism.

1931

Turns down a teaching post in Cologne. First sacred painting at Norderney. Moves to Ronco on a permanent basis.

1934

Journey to the "border of the West"

1939

Swiss citizenship. Exhibition in London.

1948

First stay in Germany after the war (Cologne).

1954

Exhibition to celebrate his 65th birthday in Lucerne, Düsseldorf, Mannheim and Munich. Tenure at the Fine Arts Academy in Munich. Establishes a winter residence in Munich.

1957

Member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts.

1958

Renounces his tenure at the Munich Academy.

1961

Paints the wall decorations on the arcades of the "Hofgarten" in Munich.

1967

His wife Uli Seewald dies on 4 May.

1973

Exhibition at the Wolfgang Ketterer Gallery in Munich.

1974

Exhibition of sacred art "Kunst in der Kirche" at the Catholic Academy of Bavaria in Munich.

1976

Cycle of the Story of the Genesis in the Herz-Jesu-Kirche (Church of the Sacred Heart) in Munich. Richard Seewald dies in Munich on 29 October. He is buried beside his wife Uli in the graveyard in Ronco sopra Ascona.