Marcus Behmer

Marcus Michael Douglas Behmer (1 October 1879 – 12 September 1958), also known by the pseudonyms Marcotino was a German illustrator, graphic designer and painter. He was the first well-known German artist to publicly admit to homosexuality.

Biography Behmer was born in Weimar, son of the painter Hermann Behmer and grandson of Friedrich Behmer, Oberamtmann of Merzien (now part of Köthen in Saxony-Anhalt) and his wife Elise, youngest daughter of the poet Philippine Engelhard. His father's twin brother Rudolf Behmer (1831–1902) was known as a breeder of Merino sheep; their sister Louise was married to Heinrich von Nathusius (1824–1890). Marcus' brother Joachim Behmer was also an artist. Behmer, in a letter, dates his artistic beginnings to about 1896.

On 1 October 1903, Behmer joined the army. He was made a corporal on 10 June 1904 and promoted on 22 September 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he served in World War I in Flanders and in Poland. In the summer of 1917 he fell seriously ill "after an operation in the field" and spent six weeks in the field hospital at Jarny in north-eastern France. During his time in the army, he produced many so-called "comrades' portraits", usually finely crafted miniature profile views of young soldiers.

In 1898 Behmer made the acquaintance of Karl Walser, also an admirer of Aubrey Beardsley, with whom he remained friends for the rest of his life. He launched his career as a professional artist in 1900 and over the next three years contributed 66 drawings to the monthly magazine Die Insel (The Island ) for Insel Verlag, the satirical weekly Simplicissimus, and other Munich publications. From 1902 on Behmer created book illustrations, designed initials and texts and was responsible for carefully planned book productions, with the Cranach Press of Harry Graf Kessler and others. With Insel Verlag he had his first major success with his illustrations for Wilde's Salome in 1903. Behmer's early works show the strong influence of the illustrative art of Aubrey Beardsley, which later allowed some negative assessments of his work as imitative, though he soon developed his own artistic language parallel to the rise of Expressionism and the new currents of the Wiener Werkstätte. He also designed an internationally recognised work, the series of illustrations for Philipp Otto Runge's Von dem Fischer un syner Fru ("The Fisherman and His Wife").

Behmer also worked for other publishers, for example the Paul Cassirer Verlag, which produced one of his major works, a series of 40 etchings created in 1912 for an edition of Voltaire's Zadig. Like many artists of the Buchkunstbewegung, Behmer ran into financial difficulties in the 1920s, but he remained committed to what he called the "small format" instead of striving for a gallery-based artistic career as did others such as Alfred Kubin, to whom Behmer compared himself in later years.

In created his own antiqua-style typeface in the 1920's and cast it in cast in the Klingspor foundry, a building that has since become a museum and houses a large collection of Behmer's work.

Behmer was close friends with, among others, the family of the writer Ernst Hardt, with the painter Alexander Olbricht and also with the sculptor and painter Dorothea Werner (born Leiding) and her husband.

From 1903 he was a member in Berlin of the WhK , Behmer was arrested in December 1936 and convicted on charges of homosexuality by a court in Konstanz. He was sentenced to two years in prison and served 19 months in prisons in Stockach, Konstanz and Freiburg im Breisgau, emerging in July 1938. He then went to live at Groẞ Nuhnen, the country estate of the Werner family near Frankfurt an der Oder. The rest of his life was spent in poverty in West Berlin, where Dorothea Werner took care of him in 1958 until his death.

Behmer died in West Berlin at age 78, on 12 September 1958. He was buried in the Heerstraße Cemetery in the present district of Berlin-Westend.

The Senate of Berlin ordered in 1965 that Behmer's grave (plot 8-C-54) should be dedicated as an Ehrengrab ("grave of honour") of the Land Berlin. The original dedication expired in 2011; the Senate renewed it in 2018 for the usual time period of 20 years.

Renowned museums and collections such as the graphics collection of the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Klingspor Museum for calligraphy and typography in Offenbach and the Sternweiler collection in Berlin today house works by Behmer. A critical appraisal of his work is only now being undertaken and his art-historical importance realized.

Selected works Graphics Numerous bookplates, usually etched Various invitations and programme cards Numerous New Year's wishes sent to friends, mostly etchings, with both metaphorical and political motifs (including between 1931 and 1934 critical comments on the seizure of power by the National Socialists). Numerous erotic works, often etchings, with explicit and imaginative gay symbolism. Ten silhouettes by Marcus Behmer. A New Year's gift for the Friends of the Kunstbibliothek, produced by W. Büxenstein. Berlin 1930. Ten-Mark banknote (using a silhouette) for the state printer, 1919.

Book illustrations Annemarie von Nathusius: Freie Worte. Eckstein, Berlin, 1902 Oscar Wilde: Salome. Insel Verlag, Leipzig, 1903 Honoré de Balzac: Das Mädchen mit den Goldaugen. German translation by Ernst Hardt. Insel Verlag, Leipzig, 1904 Herman Bang: Excentrische Novellen. Illustrations and title pages by Behmer. Berlin, S. Fischer, 1905. Voltaire: Zadig. IX. Work of the Pan Press, published by Paul Cassirer, Berlin, 1912 Brothers Grimm: Sechs Märchen. Brandus, Berlin, 1918 Ecclesiastes oder der Prediger Salomo. Holten, Berlin, 1920 Von dem Fischer un syner Fru. Insel Verlag, Leipzig, 1920 (Insel-Bücherei Nr. 315), also handset by Behmer Euphorion Verlag: Verlagsbericht über das Gründungsjahr. With a title etching by Marcus Behmer and an original lithograph by Hermann Struck. Berlin 1920 Der Prophet Jona nach Luther. Insel Verlag, Leipzig, 1920–30, reprinted 1983: Insel-Bücherei Nr 1018/2 Johannes Secundus (J.N. Everaerts): Basia. Officina Serpentis, Berlin, 1921 Oscar Wilde: Die heilige Buhlerin. Berlin, Tillgner, 1921 (Five letters by Behmer about this binding along with the volume itself were offered at auction in 2020.) 2008 - "Täfele" ("Panels"). Antiquariat & Galerie Marcus Haucke, Berlin 2000 - Antiquariat & Galerie Marcus Haucke, Berlin 1979 - Stadtmuseum, Weimar 1979 - Stadtbibliothek, Berlin-Ost 1979 - Klingspor-Museum, Offenbach 1978 - Galerie Werner Kunze, Berlin 1978 - 1979 - Kunstkreis Novo Industrie, Mainz 1958 - Klingspor Museum, Offenbach 1958 - 1959 - Ehemals Staatliche Museen Berlin / Kunstbibliothek, Berlin 1956 - Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main 1954 - Kunstamt Charlottenburg, Berlin 1952 - "Arbeiten aus 50 Jahren" ("Works of 50 Years"), Horst Stobbe Bücherstube, München 1951 - Galerie Springer, Berlin 1950 - Galerie Rosen, Berlin 1947 - A. Wollbrück & Co. Buchhandlung und Antiquariat, Berlin 1927 - Kunstbibliothek, Berlin 1912 - "An exhibition of drawings, etchings and ex libris by Marcus Behmer", Berlin Photographic Company, New York 1910 - Exhibition in the studio of Alexander Olbricht, Weimar 1904 - "Marcus Behmer, Zeichnungen, Aquarelle, Holzschnitte" ("Marcus Behmer, drawings, watercolours, woodcuts"), Kunstverein, Jena

Group exhibitions 1997 – "Goodbye to Berlin. 100 Jahre Schwulenbewegung" ("Goodbye to Berlin. 100 Years of the Gay Movement)". Schwules Museum, Berlin 1984 – "Eldorado", Berlin Museum, Berlin 1980 – "Der gekrümmte Horizont - Kunst in Berlin 1945-1967" ("The Crooked Horizon - Art in Berlin 1945-1967", Academy of Arts, Berlin 1929 – "Das deutsche illustrierte Buch von 1880 bis 1929" ("The German Illustrated Book from 1880 to 1929", Horst Stobbe Bücherstube, Munich 1909 – "Winterausstellung der Sezession" ("Winter Exhibition of the Secession")(graphics), Akademie der Künste, Berlin 1905 – "Alexander Olbricht, Marcus Behmer (Zeichnungen, Radierungen, Holzschnitte)" ("Alexander Olbricht, Marcus Behmer: drawings, etchings, wooodcuts"), Kunstverein, Jena 1903 – Secession, Berlin 1902 – "Vienna Secession 13th Exhibition", Vienna 1900 – "Vienna Secession 8th Exhibition", Vienna