heinrich kley

Kley studied "practical arts" at the Karlsruhe Akademie, and finished his studies in Munich. His early works were conventional portraits, landscapes, still lifes, city scenes, and historical paintings. From about 1892 he won a reputation as an "industry artist", painting manufacturing scenes in oil and water color. They proved his deep understanding of the modern machine world. But Kley attained greater notoriety with his sometimes darkly humorous pen drawings, published in Jugend and the notorious Simplicissimus.

The date of Kley's death is uncertain. Rumors initially suggested his demise in the early 1940's. According to some authorities Kley died on August 2, 1945; others place the time of death on February 8, 1952. This confusion might have amused the artist, who was drawn to the demonic and absurd in man.

Cartoonist Joe Grant was well aware of Kley's work and introduced his drawings to Walt Disney, who built an extensive private collection. A number of early Disney productions (like Fantasia) reveal Kley's inspiration.

Through Disney's interest, Kley is still known in the USA, while he is nowadays little regarded in Germany.

Books

• Heinrich Kley, Leut‘ und Viecher. Album. Albert Langen Verlag München o. J.
• Heinrich Kley, Skizzenbuch. Hundert Federzeichnungen. Albert Langen Verlag München o. J.

• Heinrich Kley, Skizzenbuch II. Hundert Federzeichnungen. Albert Langen Verlag München o. J.

• Hetaerenbriefe. Eine Auswahl aus Alciphron, Lucian u. a. Übersetzt von Dr. Hans W. Fischer. Mit Bildern von Heinrich Kley. Georg H. Wigand‘sche Verlagsbuchhandlung Leipzig o.J.

• Lucian, Lucius oder der Esel. Vorwort von Georg Cordesmühl. Bilder von Heinrich Kley. Georg H. Wigand‘sche Verlagsbuchhandlung Leipzig o.J.

• Vergils Aeneis. Travestiert von Alois Blumauer. Illustriert von Heinrich Kley. Berthold Sutter Verlag München 1910

Justinus Kerner, Die Reiseschatten. Mit Urzinkzeichnungen von Heinrich Kley . Hans von Weber Verlag München 1921

• Festzug. Jubiläum der Universität Heidelberg 1386 - 1886. Festzugs-Album, von Heinrich Kley in Karlsruhe unter Leitung von Professor Hoff entworfen und gezeichnet. Verlag von Bangel & Schmitt (Otto Petters), Univ.-Buchhandlung und Edmund von König, Kunsthandlung in Heidelberg (vermutlich Kleys erste Veröffentlichung)

• The Drawings of Heinrich Kley. Dover Publications New York 1962

• More Drawings of Heinrich Kley. Sketchbook I and II. With an introduction. Dover Publications New York 1961