Böttger, Klaus

Graphic artist, draughtsman

born: 15.07.1942 in Dresden

died: 25.11.1992 in Wiesbaden

Böttger studied art history, philosophy and biology at the State University Institute for Art and Work Education in Mainz and at Johannes Gutenberg University. From 1969, he lived and worked as a freelancer in Wiesbaden.

In addition to masterful etchings, he created drawings, lithographs and gouaches. One focus of his work is social criticism, in which he addresses issues such as the Vietnam War and the problematic treatment of nature and the environment. Stylistically, he was influenced by Pop Art and, above all, Fantastic Realism, which ultimately led him to create detailed portraits and landscapes. Böttger repeatedly combined etchings thematically into cycles and published them in portfolios.

In addition, he illustrated numerous books such as the 1977 short stories "Mitten im Leben" by Ambrose Bierce and the novel "Der große Eisenbahnraub" by Michael Crichton (1978). Both works were among the 50 most beautiful books of that year.

In Wiesbaden, Böttger exhibited repeatedly in galleries, but also in 1975 and 1994 at the Nassauischer Kunstverein e.V. In the new town hall, portraits of the Lord Mayors Karl Bernhard von Ibell, Karl Glässing, Alfred Schulte, Georg Krücke, Georg Buch, Rudi Schmitt and Georg-Berndt Oschatz from 1992 hang in the hallway on the second floor. A sketchbook of these portraits can be found in the Wiesbaden city archives.

Böttger was buried in the South Cemetery.