By Robin Jackson
Whilst not an artist nor an art historian, I have always been interested in art history – particularly 19th and early 20th century Northern European art. My educational background provides absolutely no clue as to that interest. I have a BA (Hons) in Geography from Bristol University and a PhD in Education from Exeter University. The first 20 years of my career were spent in teacher education in Aberdeen and Winchester. A period best characterised as a form of professional penal servitude.
However, the latter part of my career has been infinitely more rewarding and spent entirely in Scotland; the final chapter was as a Development and Training Co-ordinator for Camphill Scotland, which at that time was based in Aberdeen. The Camphill Movement was born in Aberdeen in 1940. Today there are around 120 Camphill communities worldwide providing services for children, young people and adults with special needs.
Hermann Gross Archive, Aberdeen
It was here – so to speak – I first encountered Hermann Gross! Whilst in Aberdeen I was invited to join a small group of Camphillers who were in the process of sifting through the wealth of artistic material that Gross, as artist-in-residence, had left behind after his death in 1988. It became increasingly clear to me, as a result of looking through this material, that Gross was an extraordinarily gifted and multi-talented artist. I was baffled why his work was not more widely known. It is because Gross chose not to promote his work that this article has been written. It is the author’s hope that the article does justice to his very wide range of artistic talents.
I was informed that Gross had made it clear to Camphill colleagues that he had no interest in promoting his work or, indeed, rejoining the European artistic brotherhood. This may have resulted in part from a series of traumatic episodes experienced by Gross whilst serving in the German armed forces in WW2. Having seen the exceptional quality of his work, I made the decision to try and make known, to as wide an audience as possible, the quality and astonishing range of Gross’s talent.
Chateau Musée Grimaldi Museum, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
In the course of my research, I discovered that Gross had been taught by a succession of some of the foremost practitioners in the fields of sculpture, painting, stained-glass making and silversmithing in pre-war France and Germany. Shortly after the end of WW2, he and his wife emigrated to the USA. There, his work was greatly admired by the art critics of The New York Times and New York Herald Tribune, when it was exhibited at the Macbeth Gallery in New York in 1948 and 1951. His paintings were interpreted by the critics as clear examples of German Expressionist art.
However, Gross never really settled in the USA and in 1956 he returned to Germany. In 1963 he was invited by Dr Karl König, founder of the Camphill Movement, to come to Aberdeen and assist in the creation of Camphill Hall, which König saw as the heart of the growing Camphill Movement.
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A few years ago, a modest attempt was made to make Gross’s work more widely known. A website was created illustrating the extraordinary breadth of his work: www.hermanngross.com
It is my hope that as a result of writing my article in Northern Scotland, one or more art galleries in Scotland might be tempted to explore the possibility of exhibiting some of Hermann Gross’s work. Public exhibition of this artist’s remarkable range of artistic work – whether his painting, sculpture, silversmithing or stained-glass work – is long overdue.
Hermann Gross Archive, Aberdeen
Read the full article, ‘Hermann Gross, A Descendant of the German Expressionist Movement, Who Made his Home in the North of Scotland’ in the latest issue of Northern Scotland
About the Journal
Northern Scotland is a cross-disciplinary publication which addresses historical, cultural, economic, political and geographical themes relating to the Highlands and Islands and the north-east of Scotland.
Sign up for TOC alerts, subscribe to Northern Scotland, recommend to your library, and learn how to submit an article.
About the Author
Robin Jackson has written two books about Camphill: Holistic Special Education (2006; 2024) and Discovering Camphill (2011) and numerous peer-reviewed articles about the history of the Camphill Movement. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
If as a result of reading the Northern Scotland article and this blog post, readers wish to learn more about Hermann Gross, feel free to contact Robin at: robin@deeview.myzen.co.uk
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