A Life Between Borders

Born in Bradford, England, on a late August day in 1875, Alice Trübner moved through a world of shifting identities. Though her beginnings were English, her life and art became deeply rooted in the German landscape. She was known by several names, including Alice Auerbach and Sophie Auerbach, reflecting the many layers of her personal history. Her path eventually led her to Berlin, where she lived alongside her husband, the painter Wilhelm Trübner.

The marriage between Alice and Wilhelm created a shared existence within the German art scene. While they moved in similar circles, Alice carved out her own space through her dedication to her craft. She found her footing in the galleries of Berlin, presenting her vision to an audience that was beginning to embrace new forms of expression. Her presence in the city was marked by a quiet but persistent commitment to her medium.

The Marks of Expression

Alice Trübner worked primarily with painting and lithography, techniques that allowed her to explore both broad strokes and fine, delicate lines. Her hand was present in works like Rooster, where the subject matter met a specific, focused execution. During the difficult years of the Great War, she contributed to the weekly broadside Kriegszeit, published by Paul Cassirer between 1914 and 1916. These lithographs were part of a larger cultural conversation happening in Berlin during a time of immense upheaval.

Her artistic output was not limited to a single style but was connected to the broader movements of her era. The following elements defined her contribution to the visual record:

• The use of lithography to participate in contemporary wartime publications.
• A practice that integrated painting into the German Expressionism collection.
• An ability to exhibit within the established art circles of Berlin.

A Lasting Presence

Though her life ended prematurely in Berlin in 1916, the traces of her work remained held in significant repositories. The Städel collection preserves her artistic legacy, ensuring that her hand is not forgotten by history. Her lithographs also found a home within the Museum of Modern Art, specifically within their German Expressionism holdings, where they continue to be studied as part of the era's complex visual language.

The survival of her work in such prestigious institutions ensures that her brief period of activity remains a tangible part of the art historical record. She remains a figure whose life, though short, left an indelible mark on the collections of the modern age.