Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Thomas Häfner - Lucifer
Fellow artist Mark Powell and I are on a hunt for more artwork and information regarding Thomas Hafner. All that appears to be available online is this painting of Lucifer which was published in David Larkin's book on Fantastic Art. I have a copy of it myself and it was my earliest introduction to the likes of Hieronymus Bosch, Bruegel, Max Ernst, Odilon Redon and many others. I've been mesmerized by this depiction of Lucifer since childhood.

John Coulthart has a brief article related to the artist along with this painting of Lucifer. From what I've seen it is all there is related to Hafner online. It's strange that these days an artist can be so invisible on the internet. If anyone has any links, artwork they can email me, anything related to Hafner, I and Mark Powell would really appreciate it, thank you.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a B and W photo of a sculpture by Hafner, "Harpy" 1967, in the book "Fabulous Beasts and Demons" by Heinz Mode, Phaidon press 1975. Paul Rumsey.

Zonekiller said...

Also the great Raymond Bertrand is only here
http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/2007/04/22/the-art-of-bertrand/

SEAN said...

That is a bloody intense picture. I love the layers of insanity. I wish i owned it for my library. Then i'd need some weird drugs made out of mummy skulls. Hey, can i get a link up on your links brother?

Unknown said...

http://www.johncoulthart.com/feuilleton/?p=1046

2 more pics at the above

Unknown said...

Finally the beautiful paintings from Thomas Häfner are online, thank you so much, It was allways my wish, that the world would see them.I saw them first on the site from Sundaponan. Thomas Häfner was a very close friend to our famitly. I know him since I was 3-4 years old. 4 of his marvelos paintings decorated the walls at home. I spend endless hours to study again and again the creatures, made up stories. He painted my mother, and his mother painted my mother the time she was allmost blind; Ilse Häfner Mode.artist. Some of his Painting you can find in Düsseldorf Städtische Museum. My mother workes with his wife, we called her Musch, in an antique jullery store with 2 golden sphinx created by him on the outside.Kapuzinergasse Düsseldorf Altstadt.( still there) While he applied the gold on their bodies, the children where facinated seeing the goldleaves flying down the street. Thomas world was a mystical one, and so he didn't liked the artificial world arround him.
I have still a painting from him and I feel, it's time to let it go. I am 53 and on my way to look for another country to live, - for new impressions. I became a painter too, in fantastic realisme, and the basic inspiration came through his paintings. I am not a genius like he is.
There is a reason that I write. Your passion for his paintings. If you or other lovers of his art are interrested in his paintings, I let you know that I have one that likes to find a new home. Please feel free to write me.Thank you for showing the world the amaizing world's of Thomas Häfner. I have a cataloge from his art work, with his oil paintings, aquarelle paintings and sculptures.If you are interested, I can send you some more paintings.
I think, there is a story to the eyes of Satan. The jullery store his wife worked was in a haunted house.Ones he invited a couple to sleep there. they were homeless.In the night they were haunted by the spirits. The girl friend ecaped on the street. Thomas told me that the man has seen eyes coming to him,in which he could see the whole universe.

Warm greatings, Javelin Schram
javelin.schram@ziggo.nl