Snowy Landscape – Kusche Alfred

Snowy landscape – Kusche Alfred

Work dimensions: 60 x 80 cm
Measurements with frame: 78 x 98 cm
Technique: oil on rigid cardboard
Period: 1920s

Evocative winter landscape, one of this painter's favorite subjects

Kusche Alfred
Graphic designer, painter (21 April 1884 Karlsruhe 9 July 1984 Karlsruhe)

Alfred Kusche was the son of a lithographer and co-owner of the Kusche und Eder printing house in Karlsruhe, who also worked for the Karlsruhe Artists' Association. After completing secondary school, Kusche attended the teachers' seminary, but enrolled in the school of arts and crafts in November 1904. In 1906 he passed the drawing teacher exam, after which he taught for three years at the goldsmith school in Pforzheim. In addition to his teaching activity, he created works in brass, copper and silver.
In 1909 Kusche was appointed to teach at the Grand Ducal Building School in Karlsruhe, where he was responsible for training industrial students in drawing and designing based on nature, graphic and ornamental surface drawing, metal rubbing and glass painting , fabrics and wallpaper. Furthermore, he has created graphic projects for industrial companies. Already in 1909, after winning second prize in a competition held by the Waldorf-Astoria tobacco factory, Kusche was appointed to the artistic advisory committee of the same factory.
Other companies have also benefited from his projects. The contact with majolica came through a representative of Junker & Ruh, for whom he designed posters. He has collaborated with this company for many years. During the First World War he designed the figure of the Councilor used as a brand and for advertising purposes for the Sinner company.
In 1920 he was appointed professor at the school of building crafts and taught in the teacher training department of vocational schools. When this department was closed in 1924, Kusche went into voluntary retirement. Since then he has worked as a freelance artist. Alfred Kusche is still known today for designing emergency banknotes in times of inflation.