Studio

On the painting and graphics pages, you can see – like at a real visit to his studio – which techniques Eggert Gustavs used. At the same time, matching works of the artist are presented. Besides drawings (pencil, red chalk, pen, ink), Eggert Gustavs mainly created watercolors and graphic reproductions (wood- and linocuts, as well as zinc etchings). He was a sensitive and hardworking artist who had mastered many techniques, including oil and pastel.

Studio at his home in Neuruppin

Preparatory work and woodcut "Gerhart Hauptmann"

As a young man, Eggert Gustavs had several opportunities to meet the poet Gerhart Hauptmann and to observe him closely. Hauptmann’s gracious and authentic manner did not impress him very much, but rather his facial expression when deeply immersed into a lively and spirited conversation in the evening hours. To him, this seemed to be the essence of Gerhart Hauptmann.

"Island View" in various techniques (pencil, watercolor, woodcut)

Jewelry and carvings

Eggert Gustavs also made jewelry for himself and his loved ones. A flint he had found himself he fashioned with ebony and sea urchin fossils (70 million years old) into a ring and necklace.

Poetry

Eggert Gustavs affectionately referred to his poetry as “Pösie.” About his humorous and often bizarre word games, poems, fables, and aphorisms, he once said:

“When I started speaking, I made up new phrases and played around with words all the time. So I was born with this. This joy in words and language has stayed with me to this day. Hence my word creations [...] I like to entertain myself just for the fun of them, whereby the line between seriousness and joking can sometimes be rather thin or bizarre ideas are not quashed. These things represent my “PÖSIE” I am more or less serious about. And people should be able to smile about it (without laughing at me) because it’s my fantasy, it’s my most private self."

Mit zwanzig war’n wir „Junge Leute“ …
Dann wurden wir des Lebens Beute.
Mit achtzig schließlich sind wir heute

„Alte Leute“.

So ist – gleichgültig ob’s gefällt –
der Lauf der Welt.

Mein Leben war bewegt und bunt –
bewältigt nun ist’s für mich „RUND“.
Das sei zwar nicht die letzte Frist;
was dann noch kommt, „Zugabe“ ist.

Da gibt’s nicht viel zu diskutieren,
das musst du einfach akzeptieren.

Du lebst bewusst,
doch nicht aus Lust …
Nein – weil du musst!

Bitte,

wünscht mir nicht ein allzu langes Leben.
Die Länge des Lebens ist relativ nichtig,
die Lebensfülle am Ende ist wichtig.
DANACH sollte stetig man streben.

Inhalt bekommt dein Leben
durch Lieb, Lust, Leid und Tun,
bis zu gegebener Zeit
du Zeit hast, auszuruh’n …

Im Jahre Neunzehnhundertneunundachtzig diesen Fakt hat oft bedacht sich

Eggert Gustavs

Lead glass window, about 1954