Heinrich Schlitt

Heinrich Schlitt (August 21, 1849 – November 13, 1923) was a German painter and illustrator, known for his fantasy motifs that feature gnomes, dwarves, and faeries. He was one of the in-house artists at the Villeroy & Boch ceramic company in Mettlach, Saarland, and his designs for their beer steins remain popular with collectors to this day.

Early life Schlitt was born in Wiesbaden in the Duchy of Nassau, what would now be in the modern day German state of Hesse. He exhibited his works at exhibitions put on by the Munich Artists' Cooperative.

Works

Illustrator Early in his career, Schlitt first became well known to the public as an illustrator. Das Buch Für Alle, and Illustrirte Zeitung.

Ratskeller of the Munich New Town Hall In 1905, Schlitt was selected by architect Georg von Hauberrisser to paint the ceilings of the Ratskeller at the New Town Hall in Munich. The paintings were originally intended to adorn the walls of the St. Johann Town Hall ratskeller, but after disputes between the municipal administration of St. Johann and Schlitt regarding payment for the works, Schlitt withdrew from the project and instead used the concepts for the paintings in the Munich Ratskeller. The paintings are considered to be some of his finest works.