Zirkusdiva

Paul Kleinschmidt prints bring the backstage world of Berlin's theaters, bars and variety shows to life. Kleinschmidt was a German painter and printmaker whose robust, colorful pictures moved between Expressionism, realism and the New Objectivity. This collection gathers art prints of his barmaids, dancers and circus performers, generous still lifes of flowers and fruit, and the landscapes he painted in southern Germany and the south of France.

About Paul Kleinschmidt

Paul Kleinschmidt was born on 31 July 1883 in Bublitz, Pomerania (now Bobolice, Poland), into a theatrical family: his father ran a touring theater and his mother was an actress. From 1902 to 1905 he studied at the Berlin Academy under the history painter Anton von Werner, then in Munich under Peter Halm and Heinrich von Zügel, where he learned lithography and engraving.

Back in Berlin he became a friend of Lovis Corinth and showed at the Berlin Secession in 1908 and 1911. Drafted in 1914, he was discharged after gas poisoning in 1915 and earned his living as a drawing teacher and technical draftsman, while producing most of his prints. His first solo shows came in 1923 and 1925, and from 1927 the American collector Erich Cohn supported him, encouraging him to focus on painting.

In 1937 the Nazis seized many of his works from German museums as "degenerate art". Kleinschmidt had already emigrated to the Netherlands in 1936 and later lived in southern France. Forced back to Germany in 1943, he settled in Bensheim under a ban on painting, and lost all his possessions in an air raid in 1945. He died in Bensheim on 2 August 1949.

Style and Subjects

Women are at the center of Kleinschmidt's work: barmaids, dancers, circus performers and divas making up in their dressing rooms. He painted the world of Berlin's theaters and variety halls with a social eye, yet always with respect for the people in it. His figures are solid and full-bodied, and his color is rich and earthy.

He also painted lavish still lifes of flowers, fruit and set tables, and landscapes from around Ulm and Blaubeuren and from his trips to Amsterdam and the south of France, including Arles, Cassis and Marseille.

Famous Works

• Berghang am See (Hillside by the Lake). One of the landscapes named among his notable works.
• Kuh mit Frauen (Cow with Women). A rural figure painting named among his notable works.
• Rosen (Roses). One of his flower pieces.
• Seehaus (Lake House). A landscape named among his notable works.
• Straße in Arles (1929). A street in the south of France from his travels there.
• New York Riverside Drive (1934). Painted during his stay in New York.

Decorating with Kleinschmidt Prints

The bar, theater and circus scenes have a confident, big-city mood that suits a living room, home bar or creative studio. Their strong reds, yellows and dark backgrounds look striking with black or dark wood frames.

His still lifes of roses, lilies of the valley and fruit work well in a dining room or kitchen, and the southern French landscapes add warm, sunny color to a hallway, office or bedroom.

FAQ

What art movement was Paul Kleinschmidt part of?

Kleinschmidt exhibited with the Berlin Secession, and his work draws on Expressionism, realism and the New Objectivity of 1920s Germany.

What is Paul Kleinschmidt best known for?

He is best known for his paintings of women from the world of Berlin's bars, theaters and variety shows, and for his rich still lifes and prints.

Where can I see Kleinschmidt's original paintings?

His work is shown in German museums and exhibitions, including in Ulm, Tübingen, Stuttgart and Bensheim. In 2025 the Ernst Barlach Haus in Hamburg showed 40 of his oil paintings.

How can you recognize a Paul Kleinschmidt painting?

Look for full-figured women in bars, dressing rooms or circus rings, painted in rich, earthy colors with heavy, confident brushwork.

Why did Kleinschmidt leave Germany?

In the 1930s his work was condemned by the Nazis, and in 1937 many of his works were seized from German museums as "degenerate art". He emigrated to the Netherlands in 1936 and then lived in France until he was forced back in 1943.

Related Artists

• Lovis Corinth — the older painter who befriended and guided him in Berlin
• Heinrich von Zügel — one of his teachers in Munich
• Anton von Werner — his history painting teacher at the Berlin Academy
• Max Beckmann — fellow German painter whose work was also labeled "degenerate" and who emigrated to Amsterdam
• Ernst Ludwig Kirchner — Expressionist for whose print exhibition Kleinschmidt designed a title sheet