The Unknown Michael Fingesten: Paintings, Prints and Ex Libris from the Ernst Deeken Collection

Publications: The Unknown Michael Fingesten: Paintings, Prints and Ex Libris from the Ernst Deeken Collection by Arno Parik

Jewish Museum of Prague, 2008 (ISBN 978-80-86889-71-9)

(ISJM) The Jewish Museum of Prague has published a catalog in conjunction with the exhibition of work of Michel Fingesten (1884–1943), which recently closed after several months at the Robert Guttmann Gallery. Fingesten was one of the best known graphic artists in pre-war Berlin, but until this exhibition and catalog, has been almost forgotten. He was born in Northern Moravia, began his art studies in Vienna in 1900, and then left for America where he traveled and made a living by drawing illustrations for newspapers. Fingesten returned to Europe in 1907 and studied with Franz Stuck in Munich. He then went to Asia, where he spent four years. In 1911 he was briefly in Paris, and later settled in Berlin, where achieved success. The Nazi’s labeled his work ‘degenerate art’ in 1933, and Fingesten left the country, moving to Milan, from where he was sent to the Civitella del Tronto internment camp in 1940, and was later interned in Ferramonti di Tarsia. Fingesten died of an infection in Cosenza on the 8th of October 1943, a few days after it was liberated by the British Army.

Exhibition curator Arno Pařík wrote the 36 page catalog, which features 100 color illustrations. The catalog, in Czech and English, can be ordered from the Museum website.