Early Life, Family and Training
Paul Nauen was born on December 6, 1859, in Hamburg, into a merchant family. His early years were shaped by the structured environment of a household accustomed to trade. He moved through his education at the Wilhelms Gymnasium in Munich, where he prepared for a life beyond commerce. By 1878, he entered the Munich Academy of Fine Arts to begin his formal training.
The studio was a place of rigorous instruction under the guidance of Gyula Benczúr, Alexander von Liezen-Mayer, and Ludwig von Löfftz. These teachers provided the foundation for his later focus on portraits and landscapes. He spent his formative years absorbing the techniques of the Munich School, learning to observe the subtle details of his subjects and the play of light in a landscape.
Professional Activity in Munich and Düsseldorf
In Munich, Nauen’s life centered around the shared spaces of teaching and studio work. He spent time at a private school, working alongside Friedrich Fehr and Ludwig Schmid-Reutte. By 1890, this collaboration had grown into a co-founded private painting school. The atmosphere was one of steady instruction, where he helped shape the hands of those seeking to master the craft.
The late 1880s brought a change in scenery when Nauen moved to Düsseldorf. He established his workshop within the Wunderbau, a space that had been forced to accommodate many artists after the Academy burned. It was a crowded, makeshift arrangement of studios. Despite the cramped conditions, he continued to teach, guiding nine students through the fundamentals of painting and life drawing.
Travels and International Recognition
Nauen’s presence in the art world extended beyond the German states. In 1892, his work was included in a collective exhibition in Düsseldorf. By 1906, his reputation had reached across the Atlantic. During a stay in the United States, he traveled through New York and Lenox. His time in America was marked by commissions for several members of the Colgate family. He was also honored with a dinner during this period of travel.
Recognition for his skill appeared in various European centers as well. In 1906, reports in the New York Times noted that he had been awarded a gold medal in Vienna for a portrait of a woman. This recognition followed a period of professional activity that saw his paintings appearing in several different cities and exhibitions throughout Europe.
Circle, Rivals and Pupils
In Munich, Nauen helped establish a private painting school alongside Friedrich Fehr and Ludwig Schmid-Reutte. This space drew a diverse group of students, some of whom traveled from afar to study under his guidance. Among those who gathered in his circle were Anna Beyer, Mathilde Block, Olga Boznańska, and Hans Beat Wieland. The school also hosted Rudolf Yelin the Elder, Marie Stein-Ranke, Hans Schadow, and Robert Breyer. His influence extended to students like Ernst Kreidolf, Hermann Kauffmann the Younger, Elbridge Burbank, and Marianne Rusche.
The reach of his teaching crossed borders, attracting Polish students such as Stanisław Dębicki and Marian Wawrzeniecki. His connection to Boznańska was particularly noted, as the two artists shared a mutual interest in portraying one another. While some accounts suggest a teacher-student relationship between them, their acquaintance appeared to be a close, personal one, marked by the exchange of portraits that captured their likenesses during their time in Munich.
Where to See the Works Today
Tracing the physical remains of Nauen's output requires looking toward specific institutional collections in Germany and Poland. In Munich, the Bavarian State Painting Collections hold a work from his period of activity. These pieces offer a glimpse into the technical approach he maintained while working within the traditions of the Munich School.
The connection between Nauen and Olga Boznańska is preserved through a reciprocal exchange of portraits from 1893. In the National Museum in Krakow, one can find a portrait of Paul Nauen painted by Boznańska during that year. This work exists alongside the history of their mutual acquaintance, which included Nauen's own attempt to capture Boznańska in a portrait during that same year.
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