Gari Melchers: Leaving Germany

"The Grove" by Gari Melchers

"The First World War forced Gari and Corinne Melchers to leave Weimar. Although America did not officially declare war on Germany until 1917, the United States' support for the Allied forces in Europe changed the attitude of the German people toward American citizens living in Germany. Melchers described the degeneration of this climate of opinion:

'During the first months of the war, they only felt irritated towards Americans for being slow about seeing things straight and wondered how we could fail to understand their point of view. But now they have given us up as a bad and corrupt lot and I believe they hate us almost as much as they do the English.'

It was this general hostility that compelled Gari and Corinne to flee Germany for neutral Holland in June 1915 and to leave Europe altogether for America later that summer.

Paradoxically, much of what we know about Melchers' associations with German artists is provided by letters he received after his departure from Germany. Artist friend Henry van de Velde related in a letter to Melchers that he faced an uncertain future at this time, for he had been forced to perform the 'bitter and subhuman job' of closing the Weimar School of Arts and Crafts in October 1915. 

Van de Velde's career difficulties were symptomatic of the misery endured by Melchers' other artist friends in Germany during and after the war. Letters from former associates are filled with grim tales of sons injured or missing in action and of severe economic hardship after peace was established. Melchers responded generously to the needs of his German friends by providing financial assistance.

Although Melchers made several trips to Europe during the ensuing years, the period of his life as an expatriate painter living abroad was over. He would continue to prosper as an American artist living and working at home and playing an increasingly active role in the art circles of this country."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Gari Melchers: His Life and Art" by Joseph G. Dreiss.)