Early Life, Family and Training
Paul Geissler was born on June 25, 1881, in Erfurt, Germany. He grew up in a household where the soil and the seasons dictated the rhythm of life, as his father worked as a gardener. This early connection to the natural world preceded his formal training in the arts. Before moving toward fine art, he learned the practicalities of the trade through an apprenticeship as a decorative painter in Erfurt. This period provided him with a foundational understanding of color and surface, skills that would later inform his precision in printmaking.
His formal education began in earnest in Erfurt, where he spent four years studying at the art school. During these formative years, he sought out the guidance of Karl Sondermann, taking drawing lessons to refine his hand and eye. These lessons helped transition his focus from the decorative to the more disciplined study of form and line.
In 1903, Geissler moved toward more advanced studies when he became a master student of Max Thedy. He took up his place at the Grand Ducal Saxon Art School in Weimar, a move that marked a significant step in his development as a painter and graphic artist. It was here that his technical training began to coalesce into the specific expertise that would define his later career.
Patrons, Workshop and Commissions
Even during his years as a student, Geissler found himself working for those in high places. The German Empress commissioned his work, and a Russian Grand Duke sought his pieces for a private gallery. These early opportunities arrived while he was still honing his craft under the guidance of his teachers. His focus on etching eventually led him to Munich, where his involvement in the local art scene deepened. He was elected to the board of the Verein für Originalradierungen, a position that placed him at the center of the city's printmaking community.
The later years of his career brought a different kind of recognition. In 1943, he was appointed professor, a title granted despite the professional restrictions that existed at the time. While he held this academic standing, he chose to maintain a certain distance from the formal structures of higher education. He turned down various job offers from universities, preferring to remain focused on his own practice rather than the demands of a faculty position.
Travels and Artistic Activity
A stay in Paris during 1910 and 1911 shaped much of his output, particularly through the creation of large-format sheets. By 1912, he had moved to Munich, where he became involved in the local art scene and was eventually elected to the board of the Vereines für Originalradierungen. His work during this period focused heavily on etching, a medium that allowed for a precise, detailed touch.
His movements took him across much of Europe between 1912 and 1914, including trips to Holland, France, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria. Later, in 1928, his travels extended further to the USA, Sicily, and Italy. During the National Socialist period, he was a member of the Reichskammer der bildenden Künste.
Key Works and Later Years
The later decades of Geissler's life saw a continued focus on the landscapes and structures that defined his surroundings. In 1922, he produced Bäume am Bergstrom / Kopie nach Alexandre Calame. His work during the late 1930s and early 1940s appeared frequently in the Great German Art Exhibitions in Munich. This period included the creation of Mitternachtssonne in 1938, a piece acquired by Hermann Esser, and Raureif im Hochgebirge in 1939. He followed this with Verschneite Waldmühle in Kärnten in 1940 and Das Münster zu Straßburg in 1942.
Geissler's professional standing grew during these years, leading to his appointment as a professor in 1943. Despite this recognition, he chose not to accept teaching positions from universities. After his death on May 30, 1965, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, his etching plates were sold. Any prints pulled from these plates after his passing lack his original signature.
