Charlotte Sommer-Landgraf

Charlotte Sommer-Landgraf was born in 1924 in Dresden, Germany, growing up during a turbulent era marked by war and social upheaval. After finishing high school in 1947, she studied sculpture at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts from 1948 to 1952. During her studies, she was deeply influenced by Eugen Hoffmann, a former member of the Dresden Secession Group of 1919, whose commitment to artistic freedom and modern expression left a lasting impression on her creative vision. She also learned from notable sculptors Theodor Artur Winde, Fritz Koelle, and Walter Arnold. While primarily focused on sculpture, Charlotte explored drawing, especially portraits and nudes, starting in the 1950s. She is known for works that evolved from traditional sculptural forms toward a more personal and expressive language, exemplified by her 1976 sculpture “Standing Boy.” Sommer-Landgraf passed away in 2021.

Building on this solid foundation, Sommer-Landgraf’s career unfolded through a rich and varied body of work that reflected both her evolving artistic vision and the shifting cultural landscape around her. From the late 1970s onward, she participated in significant sculpture symposia in Dresden, creating large sandstone works that still grace the city today. Throughout the 1980s and beyond, her practice expanded to include abstract marble and limestone sculptures, as well as detailed bronze medals and busts, demonstrating her versatility and deepening engagement with form and material. Her innovative spirit also led her to embrace emerging technologies, pioneering computer-generated graphics from the late 1980s and earning international recognition for her work in this medium. Alongside her creative output, she contributed to the next generation of artists through teaching and remained an active member of the artistic community until the reunification of Germany. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions over the years, including groundbreaking early shows of computer art dating back to the 1960s and major retrospectives at venues like ZKM Karlsruhe and Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden. Charlotte’s artistic legacy is a rich blend of traditional craftsmanship and innovative exploration, reflecting both the changing times she lived through and her own evolving vision.