Richard Floethe

Richard Floethe
Born(1901-09-02)September 2, 1901
Essen, Germany
DiedSeptember 30, 1988(1988-09-30) (aged 87)
Sarasota, Florida
NationalityGerman-born American
Known forprintmaker, illustrator
SpouseLouise Lee Floethe
Websiterichardfloethe.com

Richard Floethe (1901–1988) was an American artist. He served as the art director of the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) New York City poster division and then went on to illustrate numerous books.

Biography

[edit]

Floethe was born September 2, 1901[1] in Essen, Germany.[2] He studied at the Dortmund Art School, the Munich State School of Art, and the Bauhaus.[3] Floethe emigrated to the United States in 1928.[4]

In 1936 Floethe became the art director of the New York City poster division of the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP). He served as the director through 1939. He hired the artist Anthony Velonis who introduced the silk-screening process into the program as a way to produce posters.[5]

In 1937, he married Louise Lee with whom he had two children. Louise Lee Floethe was the author of children's books and Richard Floethe illustrated many of her books.[4] Floethe turned to illustration after his career with the WPA.[3]

Floethe's work was included in the 1944 Dallas Museum of Art exhibition of the National Serigraph Society.[6] In 1975 he donated a 1939 WPA calendar to the Library of Congress. The calendar was an example of New York City Poster Division's work.[7]

Floethe died on September 30, 1988,[1] in Sarasota, Florida.[4]

Floethe's work is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art,[8] the National Gallery of Art,[9] and the Delaware Art Museum.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Summary Bibliography: Richard Floethe". www.isfdb.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Richard Floethe". AskArt. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b "WPA Poster History". Posters For The People. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Floethe, Louise Lee". Social Networks and Archival Context. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  5. ^ Gennetian, Arpie (Spring 2021). "WPA Posters: Art for The Common Good". Objective (5). Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  6. ^ "National Serigraph Society Exhibition | Dallas Museum of Art". Dallas Museum of Art. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Posters: WPA Posters - Federal Art Project Calendar". Library of Congress. 1936. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Richard Floethe". Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Works – Richard Floethe". Delaware Art Museum. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
[edit]