Karl Weschke a German in Cornwall

In his contribution to the lecture series From the Margins. Rediscovered Lives from Archives, Dr Matt Retallick explores the hidden connections between German and Cornish art through the life and work of the Gera-born painter Karl Weschke. Drawing on his doctoral thesis and his forthcoming monograph on the artist, Matt traces how Weschke became a mediator through whom artists such as Georg Kolbe, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Lovis Corinth, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Ernst Barlach, Max Liebermann and others gained an unexpected presence in Cornish art history.

Dr Matt Retallick is an art historian and curator based in London. He is co-director of the Anglo-German Research Group, a lecturer in art history and curating at Manchester Metropolitan University, and is currently researching Georg Kolbe’s connections to Britain.