Featured Artists' Biographies (U)

View larger image and more information for Emile Ulm's original etching, Brant Decouvrant le Phosphore (Brandt Discovering Phosphorus).

Emile Ulm (Rochefort, 1829 - Paris, 1892): Highly regarded for both his etchings and his paintings, Emile Ulm studied art in Paris under Gleyre and Gues. Gaining his reputation firstly as an artist of fruit and flower still lives, he was also a gifted portraitist and figure painter. During the 1860's, Ulm's work was regularly exhibited at the prestigious Salon of Paris. He also contributed several original etchings to the Societe des Aqua-fortistes from 1864 to 1866.

View larger image and more information for William Unger's original Self-Portrait etching.

William Unger (Hanover, 1837 - Innsbruck, 1932): The long-lived William Unger is important not only as an etcher but as an influential scholar and teacher. Serving as professor of graphic arts at the Vienna Academy he taught etching techniques to many of the finest Austrian, German and French artists of the early twentieth century. He was also a founder of Zeitschrift fur Bildendekunst (1866), an important journal which promoted etching, engraving and lithography. Unger's autobiography, Aus meinen leben, was published in Vienna in 1928.

William Unger began his formal art studies in 1854 as a student of Joseph Keller, in Dusseldorf. He then finished his studies at the Academy in Leipzig. During his successful career as an etcher Unger received numerous awards including medals from expositions in Paris (1878), Vienna (1888) and Berlin (1891). William Unger became most famous for his etchings after the paintings of both old masters and contemporary artists, and these reproductive works occupied most of his career.

View larger image and more information for Joza Uprka's original etching, Pfingstreiter.

Joza Uprka (Knezdub, 1861 - Hroznova, 1940): Born and raised in Moravia, Joza Uprka studied painting at the Prague and Munich Academies (1881-84) before travelling around Europe and living for some time in Paris. While there, he was introduced to Eduard Karel, who taught him printmaking. From 1900 Uprka's etchings were regularly shown alongside his paintings at major exhibitions. From 1904, he settled permanently in his native Moravia. He was fascinated by local folklore and customs, and the subjects of his art turned more and more towards a study of the peasants, their work and their customs. This famous etching, for example, portrays a principal figure in " the King's ide & quot; an important Moravian festival where each participant wears traditional, ellaborately embroidered costumes.

Joza Uprka is rightly recognized as one of the founders of Czech printmaking, along with Max Svabinsky. His etched work was exhibited and collected in such wide ranging centres a Prague, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Cologne, New York and St. Louis

View larger image, more information and other original works of art by Rinsai Utsushi.

Rinsai Utsushi (Japan, active, c. 1869 - 1890): 'Kacho-ga' -- the depiction of birds and flowers -- was one of the three traditional subjects of Chinese painting. Japanese woodblock masters thoroughly explored this field with the great Utamaro leading the way in the late eighteenth century.The nineteenth century, however, witnessed the finest and most diverse Kacho-ga (kacho-e), with numerous contributions by both Hokusai and Hiroshige. Later, with the Meiji era (1868 - 1912) found one of its most perfect vehicles of interpretation in its dramatic bird and flower woodcuts. Such fine artists of the era, such as Zeshin, Imao Keinen, Watanabe Seitei and Rinsai Utsushi dedicated much of their oeuvre to the art of Kacho-ga.

Rinsai Utsushi is known to have produced woodcuts in the capital of Edo from 1869 to 1890. Practically all his art was dedicated to the study of the natural world. Most of his woodcuts were created in series form and bound into volumes.