Maximilian Bohl (painter)

Maximilian Bohl (1883-1923) was a Swiss-Polish painter, born in Zürich. He studied at Kunstgewerbeschule in Zürich.
He is considered to be a precursor of postmodernism, putting much emphasis on human nature and identity in later stages of his
career. Scholars believe him to be one of the most important, however, underrated, painters of the 20th century. He is known for his quote „Je ne comprends pas”, originally used in his critique of Socrates’ philosophy, which later became the title of his autobiography.
==Biography==
Max Bohl was the eldest son of Albert Bohl, a Swiss history and philosophy teacher, and Julia Bohl (née Faygiel), a Polish-German singing instructor with a passion for music, theatre and painting.He grew up between Zürich and Panzerin, modern day Pęczerzyno, where the Bohl family summer residence was located. The artist had a younger sister, Helene, who became a pianist. At the dawn of the 20th century Bohl enrolled in the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zürich, having studied there from 1902 to 1907.
==Career==
====Experimental Period (1902-1909)====
Bohl’s early paintings demonstrate extensive inquiry of nature, still life and human body. In this period, later known as the Experimental Period, Bohl created many artworks, including sketches, photographs, sculptures and literary works. This period is characterised by frequent changes in style and using technologies newly available for artists, especially cameras.
====Light Era (1910-1915)====
Around 1910, 27 years old Maximilian became influenced by early works of Virginia Wolf, psychological studies of Sigmund Freud and style of Viennese
painters, especially Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, following a brief stay in the capital of Austria. In this period viewers can clearly see a conscious exploration of human beauty. It is also in this time that Bohl started painting full time.
====Dark Era (1915-1923)====
Bohl continued his search of morality and humanity in the the wake of the World War I. Despite living in neutral Switzerland, he became very concerned about the souls and humanity of modern Europeans. He briefly signed up for military service in Poland in 1917-1918, which caused him to suffer with depression and PTSD. Having lost all hope, he sought to define a new normality and called up memories of the simpler times of the pre-war era. 
Maximilian Bohl survived World War I but committed suicide on 19th of May 1923.
==Death==
Following his suicide in 1923, many suspected the suicide to be faked by his wife Emilia Bohl after she found out about his sexual interest in men. It was rumored that he had a male lover. Only his first name was later revealed in a few of Bohl’s letters: Leon.
Bohl was buried in the modern day Poland, in his family estate in Panzerin, modern day Pęczerzyno. The estate and grave were destroyed in World War II and currently remain unmarked.
==Paintings==
* „Rotten marriage” (1921)
* “Still life with vanitas motif” (1902)
* „Portrait of Emilia Bohl” (1922)
* “Portrait of the Daughter” (1917)
* ”The abduction of Europe” (1920)
* “La Signorina Moniqua del Dolore e d’Essere” (1920)
* “Saint Maria Teresa with a little bird” (1903)
Category:1883 births	
Category:People from Zürich
Category:Swiss people
Category:Swiss painters