Wim Schuhmacher (1894-1986) was given the nickname the Master of Gray. He is often mentioned in the same breath as neorealists such as Raoul Hynckes and Carel Willink. His work can also appear otherworldly, but seems lighter in atmosphere, serene, and less ominous. As a self-taught painter, Schuhmacher took pride in his flawless technique, with no visible brush strokes. Using ochres, he enlivened gray tones to subtly evoke a fragile sense of life. The application of this unique silver-grey veil felt like a discovery and triumph, he later explained. It also earned Schuhmacher his nickname the Master of Gray. While he traveled extensively in Southern Europe, he did not seek out flourishing landscapes or picturesque villages bathed in Mediterranean sun. It was in the Italian town of San Gimignano that Schuhmacher perfected his faded world, where the light seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Like other neorealists after World War II, appreciation for Schuhmacher’s work waned in favor of abstract, expressive art. However, when he was asked by the Gemeentemuseum Arnhem in 1960 to participate in the first major exhibition with his fellow predecessors, Schuhmacher declined. The war had driven a wedge between certain “old masters.” He refused to hang in the same exhibition as Pyke Koch, who had been on the “wrong” side.
www.ftn-books.com has multiple publications on Schumacher available.
