Gitz-Johansen
in
his
studio
on
Christiansø
Gitz-Johansen
was born in Odense (Denmark) on August 20,
1897 and given the name Aage Rudolf Hans
by his parents Jeppe Søren Johansen and
and Amalie Gitz.
He later dropped his Christian names and
used the name "Gitz-Johansen"
instead.
As
a child he was given a painting box by his
uncle Peter Gitz, who was a craft painter in
Germany wandering from place to place to
find work.
In
1916 he graduated from Odense Cathedral
School. Subsequently he studied theology and
zoology at Copenhagen University from 1917 to 1921. From
1921 to 1931 he taught painting and
zoology as a substitute teacher in
several schools
in Copenhagen.
In this period he also
traveled extensively through Europe: In
1921 he stayed in Berlin and Dresden. He
spent some time in Paris in 1927, where
he created some caricatures for "Le
Monde" and "Le Rire".
Gitz-Johansen's
first illustrations were published in
Poul Fenneberg's book "Femina"
in 1926.
From
1927 to 1929 he attended the Art Academy in Copenhagen under professor
Aksel Jørgensen, who was also one of the
artists who had great importance
for him. In
1927
he had his debut at Charlottenborg's
autumn exhibition.
Together with
R. Broby-Johansen he traveled to Russia
and Lithuania from 1929 to 1930. Powerful
color sketches were the result of
this trip. Also in 1930 he made his first
trip to Christiansø, which started his
strong relation to birds as a motive.
In
the years 1929 to 1930 Gitz-Johansen was editor of
"Ny Kunst" ("New
Art") in Denmark, together with Leck
Fischer.
He
traveled to Norway, Lapland and Småland in
1931. In the same year he was responsible
for the stage design of the theater play
"Woyzek" with Sam
Besekow, a former pupil of his, in
Copenhagen.
In
1932 he was the co-founder of the group
"Koloristerne" ("The
Colorists").
After
Gitz-Johansen returned from a trip to
Lapland in 1933 he was asked by Knud
Rasmussen to travel to Greenland and to
paint its people and nature. From
1933 to 1934 he traveled for the first time to
Greenland with his wife Vibeke, whom he
married in 1934. The couple spent the winter in Maniitsoq
and his art was strongly inspired by the culture
of the Eskimos.
Departure
for Greenland, 1945.
During
the winter of 1935-36 he came to the east
coast of Greenland to Ammassalik with his family.
Later the couple settled in the north
of Zealand in Trørød.
The Greenland trips in 1937 went along
the west coast to Thule. 1938
to 1939 he was a member of the Danish
North Eastern Greenland expedition and
traveled to Danmarkshavn and Peary Land on
the east coast.
During the Second World
War in Denmark he took up drawing from
life and trained his ability to sketch
form the nude and studied master drawings
by his favorite artists. 1945 to 1948 he again
made several trips to Greenland.
Many of his summers he spent
on
Christiansø.
In
1947 he published the children's book
"Gaba - The little
Greenlander". In
1951 the book "Grønlands Fugle"
("Birds of Greenland") with 54
illustrations from Gitz-Johansen and Finn
Salomonsen was published. The originals
where placed in the Smithonian
Institute in Washington. Later they were given to the "Katuak"
the new culture house in Nuuk, Greenland.
Gitz-Johansen
and his daughter Nana, Christiansø,
1956.
1956
and the following years Gitz-Johansen
again made some trips to Lapland. From
1960 to 1977 he traveled to Rome, Switzerland, Egypt,
Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordania,
Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Crete. His work was influenced by
these impressions.
After
his death on July 1 1977 in Chrisitiansø he was buried at
Vedbæk Kirkegård. Yet he lives on in his
numerous paintings, drawings, poems and
books.
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